Layered Lemon Cake With Lemon Curd Recipes

LEMON LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and juice. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and milk. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 24-28 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool slightly., For syrup, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Cool completely., For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth; beat in confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and salt until blended., Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Brush layers with warm syrup; cool completely., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. If desired, top with lemon slices or edible flowers. Refrigerate leftovers.

WHITE LAYER CAKE WITH LEMON CURD FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
• In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining whites.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment. Reinvert cakes, and let them cool completely, top sides up.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level. Place one layer on a serving plate, cut side up. Using a pastry bag fitted with a coupler, pipe frosting around the perimeter. This dam will prevent the lemon curd filling from seeping out. Fill cake with lemon curd. Place other cake layer on top, cut side down. Spread entire cake with frosting, swirling to cover.

MEYER-LEMON AND COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 7-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Bake coconut on a baking sheet until dry but not golden, about 10 minutes; let cool completely.
• Whisk milk into eggs, then whisk in vanilla. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-low speed 30 seconds. Continue beating while gradually adding butter and coconut oil until mixture is crumbly, about 3 minutes. Slowly add half of milk mixture; increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Slowly add remaining milk mixture, scraping down bowl as needed. Beat until incorporated, 30 seconds.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; tap pans on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes, then turn out of pans, remove parchment, and let cool completely, top-sides up, on racks. For easy splitting, refrigerate 1 hour.
• Trim tops of cakes flat. Split each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Place a cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 2/3 cup curd evenly over it; top with a second cake layer. Repeat, spreading 2/3 cup curd between each layer. Finish with a cake layer, bottom-side up. Refrigerate cake, wrapped in plastic, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Spread 1 cup buttercream over top and sides of cake evenly to create a crumb coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Spread remaining 3 cups buttercream over top and sides. Coat sides with coconut. Garnish with candied lemon and mint. Cake can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 5 days; return to room temperature before serving.

LAYERED LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON CURD

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Butter parchment.
• Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon peel. Beat in flour alternately with lemon juice in 2 additions each. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until cakes begin to pull away from sides from pan and tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 2 minutes. Turn cakes in pans on racks 2 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Peel off parchment.
• For lemon curd:
• Whisk eggs and sugar in top of double boiler to blend. Add lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Set pan over simmering water (do not allow bottom of pan to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens to pudding consistency and thermometer inserted into mixture registers 165°F., about 4 minutes. Remove from over water; cool. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd; chill until cold. (Cake and lemon curd can be made 1 day ahead. Cover cake and store at room temperature. Keep lemon curd chilled.)
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread lemon curd evenly over. Top with second cake layer. Place decorative stencil or doily atop cake. Sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar. Carefully remove stencil. Serve cake with whipped cream, if desired.

FOUR-LAYER CAKE WITH LEMON CURD

Steps:

• For lemon curd:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy medium nonaluminum saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and candy thermometer registers 170°F, about 8 minutes (do not boil). Pour into bowl and cool.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter and flour four 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg whites in 4 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. Layers will be thin. (Lemon curd and cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill curd. Wrap cake layers separately and store at room temperature.)
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 6 tablespoons lemon curd over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 6 tablespoons curd over. Top with third layer. Spread 6 tablespoons curd over. Top with remaining layer. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover cake and remaining curd separately; chill. Bring cake to room temperature before continuing.) Whisk remaining curd in saucepan over low heat until heated through and slightly thinner. Pour atop cake, spreading evenly and allowing some to run down sides. Garnish with mint.