Lemon Layer Cake
A bright, tart cake with layers of soft vanilla lemon cake filled with sweet lemon curd and covered in a soft, velvety vanilla buttercream. This is a cake perfect for any occasion.
Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients
3/4 cup oil
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 lemons, zested
14 ounce cake flour
14 ounce sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites
2 cups lemon curd filling, recipe below
1 quart buttercream frosting, recipe below
Yellow food coloring
Instructions
Bake the cake layers:
1. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter and flour the bottoms (but not the sides) of the two cake pans
2. Sift together the flour, 4 oz. of the sugar (reserve the other 10 oz. for later), baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix together the oil and egg yolks until evenly blended.
4. Add the lemon juice, water, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix in well.
5. Add the dry ingredient mixture and mix in until evenly distributed. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed for a minute. Set the batter aside.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until a foam forms. Slowly add the 10 oz of the remaining sugar. Whip at high speed until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
7. Carefully fold the meringue, in three additions, into the cake batter.
8. Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cake pans.
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
Prepare the filling and frosting:
1. Set out to cool. In the meantime prepare the curd and the buttercream frosting.
2. Separate 1 cup of the buttercream frosting and mix a little yellow food coloring into it to create a bright yellow color. Set aside.
Assemble the cake:
1. Once the cake layers have completely cooled, slice each into 3 separate layers, each about 1" tall.
2. Place the first layer on a cake round or cake plate. Spread a fifth of the lemon curd over the top layer.
3. Repeat this four more times, topping with the last layer of cake. You should have a 6-tiered cake, with lemon curd between each layer but not on top.
4. Spread a very thin layer of uncolored buttercream frosting on the top and sides of the assembled cake. You should still be able to see the cake through the thin layer of icing, but no crumbs or cake should be visible. This is called dirty icing and makes the final icing much easier as it keeps the cake or crumbs from getting mixed into the frosting. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes until the frosting has hardened.
Decorate the cake:
1. Once the dirty icing layer has hardened, remove the cake from the fridge and spread the uncolored buttercream frosting on the top and side of the cake. Using a large offset spatula, smooth the top of the icing with one gentle movement. Clean the spatula off and now run it along the side of the cake in one fluid movement to smooth the side of the cake.
2. Using a small icing spatula, apply small dabs of yellow frosting to the side and top of the cake. Using the small spatula, create small horizontal streaks and stripes with the yellow frosting.
3. Using a clean large offset frosting spatula, run it along the top of the cake in a smooth motion to even out and dissipate the yellow stripes. Clean the spatula and repeat on the side of the cake to reduce the intensity of the stripes and to blend them into the white frosting.
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
4 lemons, zested
3/4 cup lemon juice
12 oz. sugar
1/2 ounce cornstarch
4 eggs
6 ounces unsalted butter
Instructions
1. Zest and juice the lemons. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the eggs and beat until themixture is even.
3. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Heat the mixture over low and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly.
4. Cook over boiling for a few seconds until it thickens.
5. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
6. Once at room temperature, move to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
1 pound butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup water
8 ounces granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 eggs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Ensure the butter is soft. Set aside.
2. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan and heat to 240°F.
3. In the meantime, begin whipping egg whites on low. Once the sugar has reached 230°F begin whipping on high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Once the sugar has reached 240°F, remove from the the heat. Reduce the mixer to medium, and pour the sugar in a steady stream between the whisk attachment and side of the bowl, taking care not to let the sugar hit the whisk.
5. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue is slightly warm.
6. Reduce the mixer to medium and begin adding the butter, in 1 ounce chunks at a time. Add the salt and vanilla and increase the mixture to high for a few seconds to incorporate everything and smooth the buttercream out.