Lemon Cream Cake

It's been quite a while since I posted - just over a year in fact. And 6 months since I've made a cake. I'm still somewhat displaced & don't have a kitchen of my own. Room renting has made baking less than joyous. When I do sneak in it's usually just to knock out some Oatmeal Jam Bars or Brownies. Something quick that'll get me in & out with the least amount of time & mess. Cake just doesn't make the cut. ~huge sigh~ Hope that changes this year because I am weary of being stifled creatively & otherwise.

I crawled out of hibernation this weekend. The Lemon Buttermilk Cake recipe I found on Epicurious. It was just moist enough & held up well. I double the recipe & used 2 9x13 pans which yielded a total of 4 cake layers. I'm a big fan of Wilton's straight-edged Square & Rectangular pans for their clean lines, sturdy construction & light color which is essential for even baking.

I like monochromatic layered flavor - I find it works especially well with the vibrant nuances of Lemon. I filled the cake with Lemon Curd & lightly whipped Cream and frosted it with Italian Meringue Lemon Curd Buttercream. I did a similar version for a Wedding Cake with Mixed Berries and it was equally good.

I've been wanting to try Ina Garten's Lemon Curd because I was intrigued by her technique. The results were fantastic. It cooked for a shorter time & it set up beautifully. Top Shelf. I only made one change. I skipped the lemon zest infused sugar step and used a teaspoon of Boyajian Lemon Oil instead. It's a specialty item that I don't always have on hand so I will give the original version a go at some point. I'll post the Buttercream recipe separately a little later.

As for the exterior, it's simple enough. I used pearly white jimmies around the edges and tiny edible metallic heart glitter over the lettering. (For some reason the metallic elements always look better in person than in pictures.) I lightly colored what was left of the lemon curd buttercream & used large round tip for the writing which gave the letters a nice 3D effect.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Beat sugar, butter and lemon peel in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)

Ina Garten's Lemon Curd

3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface.