Lemon Lime Checkerboard Cake Recipes

LEMON-LIME POUND CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar and butter. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl, then add it to the butter-sugar mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. With the mixer on low, slowly add the lemon-lime soda and mix until combined. Add the lemon and lime zests and mix. Scrape the bowl and mix again.
• Thoroughly spray a Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Add large spoonfuls of batter to the pan until filled, then even out the surface. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center should not come out totally clean, but it shouldn't be wet with batter either). Let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a cake plate and let it cool.
• For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice, lime zest and juice, salt and about 1 tablespoon water in a bowl and gently whisk until thick but pourable; add a little extra water if needed. Use a large spoon to drizzle the glaze all over the cake. Sprinkle over more zest to decorate. Let the glaze set before serving.
• Whip the heavy cream and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until it forms soft peaks. Slice the cake and serve with the whipped cream and berries!

LEMON-LIME MAGIC CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat Cake Layer ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour in pan.
• In another large bowl, mix Lemon-Lime Layer ingredients with whisk until smooth. Evenly pour over top of cake batter in pan; mixture will sink to bottom as you pour over cake batter.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to chill. Spread whipped topping over chilled cake. Sprinkle with additional lemon and lime peel if desired. Using a serving spatula and a knife to carefully help slide pieces off, cut into 6 rows by 3 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

LEMON AND LIME BATTENBERG

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F180°C/160°C fan/gas 4, grease the cake tin and line it with baking parchment, allowing the parchment to overhang at the edges. Divide the tin cavity in half by pulling up the center of the parchment and folding a tall pleat to separate the halves. Make sure the pleat is as close to the center as possible.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl for 4-5 minutes, using a stand mixer or an electric hand-held whisk, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding 1-2 tablespoons of the flour if the mixture curdles.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour and ground almonds. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until a thick batter forms, then scoop half the mixture into a separate bowl.
• Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and a little yellow food coloring to one half of the batter, and do the same to the other half with the lime juice, lime zest and green food coloring, mixing until fully combined.
• Spread the lemon mixture into one half of the tin and the lime mixture into the other half, with the parchment dividing them, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden. Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Use a serrated knife to trim the edges off the cooled sponges. Carefully cut the sides that have colored in the oven, as they can look off-putting if used in the Battenberg. Measure the height of the baked sponge with a ruler and slice the cake into strips the same width as the height, forming a square cross section. Mine are usually 2x2cm (3/4x3/4 inches). This will create perfect squares that stack properly on top of one another.
• Gently warm the lime marmalade in a small saucepan to loosen it and make it easier to spread, then pass it through a sieve. Stick one lemon strip of cake and one lime strip together using some of the lime marmalade, then stack the alternate color on top of the bottom layer to create the checkerboard effect with the four strips.
• Lightly dust the worktop with confectioners' sugar, then roll out the marzipan into a large rectangle, trimming the edges so the rectangle is approximately 18x20cm (7x8-inches). Brush the top and sides of the assembled cake with the remaining marmalade, then place top-side down on to the marzipan along the short edge. Brush the face-up side of the cake with more marmalade before tightly rolling it up in the marzipan until it is covered. Press in the final section of marzipan or trim if it looks too long.
• Trim the ends of the cake using a serrated knife and transfer the Battenberg to a plate or cake stand. The cake will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.