Delicious lemon cake, lemon curd filling, cream cheese frosting and lemon head candy glaze. If you love lemon you will enjoy this lemon cake. It's simple and beautiful.
Cake Ingredients
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or 11/2 sticks
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
2/3 cups grape-seed oil
1 cup milk, at room temperature
6 egg whites, at room temperature room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tsp lemon extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 325F not 350F
Prepare your pans two 8x2 cake pans with preferred pan spray. Fill your pans about 3/4 of the way full of batter. 1/2 sheet cake if cutting cake rings seen in video.
Beat butter on medium low speed until creamy
Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well combined and creamy
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then add lemon extract and lemon zest. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated well
In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
On medium speed add milk and flour to butter mixture in thirds alternating and beginning and ending with flour.
In a separate bowl mix egg whites into a stiff peak using mixer and whip beaters. Whip into stiff peaks
Using a spatula, gently fold in the eggs white into your batter. Gently scraping bottom and sides to completely combine.
Pour into prepared pans. Depending on your choice of pan it can take 25-25 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You will see the cake puffs in the middle when done.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Flip out and let the cake continue cooling. Chill the cakes before frosting. You can make the cakes a day ahead of frosting. Wrap in plastic wrap if you need to freeze them.
Ingredients
â…“ cup lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine salt
Directions
In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice. Do not boil you just want to heat to warm. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. After mixing well at warm lemon juice until blended. Pour back into saucepan and continue cooking until it thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir the butter until melted. Add the heavy cream and stir until well blended. You are done!
Pour you lemon curd into a glass bowl. If you don't have one don't worry use a glass. Don’t use aluminum or unlined copper pans when making curd. They could react with the acid in the lemons, discoloring the curd and leaving a metallic aftertaste. I have never had an issue using metal bowls when mixing. But you should avoid if possible.
Watch my video for easy Lemon Curd
FOR THE GLAZE BETWEEN LAYER
1/2 cup confection sugar
Juice of one lemon
Combine and Brush on layer before added lemon curd. Please see video for illustration.
Glaze for top of cake
1/4 cup lemon heads
1/4 cup water
1 to 11/2 cup of confection sugar
In a small bowl add water and lemon heads. Place in microwave and heat on increments of 30 seconds and stir until completely dissolved. Add confection sugar in small batches stirring until completely smooth. Set aside it will thicken as it cools. Use a icing bag, spoon, or liquid bottle to pour close to the edge of cake. It will drip down the sides. Make sure you do not add to much you can always add more if needed. Fill in the middle of the cake with the glaze. Refrigerate until it has harden before adding additional optional frosting topping.
Optional: Top with cream cheese icing and crushed lemon head candy. Please watch video for decoration idea. Recipe for Cream Cheese frosting.
Tips
If you do not have cake flour you can make our own. This is only recommended if you are in a tight. Converting from all purpose flour to cake flour: Take one cup of all purpose flour, spooned and leveled. Remove two tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch to the all purpose flour. Sift together before using.
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature
Try to measure all ingredients before starting. This helps to make sure everything is included.
Chill your cakes before frosting. You can also make a day ahead of frosting.
Grab the ingredients and watch the illustrated video for tips.