{{ :recipes:lemon_layer_cake.jpg?direct&200|}} ====== Lemon Layer Cake ====== /* Description */ **Why This Recipe Works:** Most layer cake recipes are made with hefty butter cake layers, but we suspected that the light, fresh flavor of lemon would be better served by something more ethereal. After trying recipes for sponge cake and classic yellow cake, we found that white butter cake was the perfect compromise for our lemon layer cake recipe: a cake nicely flavored by butter yet still light, with a fine crumb and tender texture. {(rater>id=100|name=Lemon Layer Cake|type=rate|headline=off)} |**Preheat:** °|**Yield:** 12 servings|| |**Prep:** 0:00|**Wait:** 0:00|**Cook:** 0:00| ====== Ingredients ====== **Lemon Curd Filling** * 1 cup fresh lemon juice from about 6 lemons * 1 teaspoon gelatin (powdered) * 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces) * 1/8 teaspoon table salt * 4 large eggs * 6 large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for cake) * 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and * frozen **Cake** * 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus extra for pans * 1 cup whole milk , room temperature * 6 large egg whites , room temperature * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract * 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces) * 4 teaspoons baking powder * 1 teaspoon table salt * 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened but still cool **Fluffy White Icing** * 2 large egg whites * 1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces) * 1/4 cup water * 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) * 1 tablespoon corn syrup ====== Directions ====== - **FOR THE FILLING:** Measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over top. Heat remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolks in large nonreactive bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with heatproof spatula, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to leave trail when spatula is scraped along pan bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated. Pour filling through fine-mesh strainer into nonreactive bowl (you should have 3 cups). Cover surface directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, at least 4 hours. - **FOR THE CAKE:** Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans and line with parchment paper. In 2-cup liquid measure or medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, and vanilla. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs with no visible butter chunks. Add all but 1/2 cup milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running at low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture; increase speed to medium and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium speed and beat 20 seconds longer. Divide batter evenly between cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pans with small knife, cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto greased wire rack; peel off parchment. Invert cakes again; cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. - **TO ASSEMBLE:** Following illustrations below, use serrated knife to cut each cake into 2 even layers. Place bottom layer of 1 cake on cardboard round or cake plate. Using icing spatula, spread 1 cup lemon filling evenly on cake, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge; using cardboard round, gently replace top layer. Spread 1 cup filling on top. Using cardboard round, gently slide bottom half of second cake into place. Spread remaining cup filling on top. Using cardboard round, place top layer of second cake. Smooth out any filling that has leaked from sides of cake; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making icing. - **FOR THE ICING:** Combine all ingredients in bowl of standing mixer or large heatproof bowl and set over medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and transfer mixture to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until mixture has cooled to room temperature and stiff peaks form, 5 minutes longer. Using icing spatula, spread frosting on cake. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.) ====== Notes ====== * The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, but it will become quite stiff; fold it with a rubber spatula to loosen it before spreading onto the cake. * For neater slices, dip a knife into hot water before cutting the cake. * Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator, with the cut side of the cake covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. /* Nutrition block - remove the slash-asterisk and asterisk-slash from just above and below the following block */ /* ====== Nutrition ====== |Calories (kcal): |Fat Calories (kcal): |Cholesterol (mg): |[[recipes:notes:nutrition guidelines |(Guide)]] | |Fat (g): |Saturated Fat (g): |Mono Fat (g): |Poly Fat (g): | |Protein (g): |Carbohydrates (g): |Sodium (mg): |Fiber (g): | */ {{tag>Recipes Dessert/Cake AmericasTestKitchen/CooksIllustrated}} /* Recipe Tags - Copy and paste tags from the list below to the tag list in the above line, replacing the "TagsNeeded" tag and separated by spaces. */ /* ---Recipe Types--- Appetizer Beverage Beverage/Cocktail Beverage/Liquor-Mixer Bread Bread/Biscuit-Roll Bread/Muffin Bread/Quickbread Brines-Marinades-Rubs Breakfast Casserole Canning-Freezing Condiment Dessert Dessert/Bar-Brownie Dessert/Cake AmericasTestKitchen/CooksIllustrated Dessert/Cake/Frosting Dessert/Candy-Chocolate Dessert/Crisp-Buckle Dessert/Cookie Dessert/Custard-Curd Dessert/IceCream Dessert/Pie Dessert/Pie/Crust Dessert/Topping Dip-Spread Entertaining Fondue Grilling-BBQ Grilling-BBQ/BBQSauce Holiday Kid-Friendly MainDish MainDish/Beef MainDish/Poultry MainDish/Pork MainDish/Seafood Pasta-Rice Pizza Roast Salad Salad/Dressing Sandwich Sauce-Gravy Sausage-Pate Seasoning Side SlowCooker Snack Soup Stew-Braise Stir-Fry Vegetarian ---Recipe Cuisines--- American American/Cajun-Creole American/Southern American/TexMex Asian Asian/Chinese Asian/Indian Asian/Japanese Asian/Korean Asian/Thai Asian/Vietnamese European European/Belgian European/Czech European/Dutch European/English European/French European/German European/Greek European/Polish European/Irish European/Italian European/Portuguese European/Russian European/Scandinavian European/Spanish European/Swiss Latin Latin/Brazilian Latin/Mexican MiddleEastern MiddleEastern/Ethiopian MiddleEastern/Jewish MiddleEastern/Lebanese ---Recipe Sources--- 365Recipes 365Recipes/Grilling 365Recipes/Chicken 365Recipes/Pasta AmericasTestKitchen AmericasTestKitchen/CooksCountry AmericasTestKitchen/CooksIllustrated BetterHomesGarden BonAppetit Chowhound FineCooking FoodWine GoodEats Gourmet Jennivines HDawson LMaidment TMaidment AMarcos DMarcos JMarcos KMarcos JPhalen DPendergast ---Recipe Ratings--- 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1★ No★ ---Recipe Alerts--- RecipeNeeded RecipeIncomplete RecipeWrong RecipeFails TagsNeeded */ ~~DISCUSSION~~