It was time for my cookbook club’s “Signature Cake” meeting.  A “Signature Cake”, is show-y cake, one that we might become remembered for. A special cake our family and friends might look forward to, or even ask for, on birthdays and special occasions—a from-scratch layer cake, with a filling, and frosting.  I had seen this recipe for Lemon Layer Cake in several America’s Test Kitchen magazines so I went for it. Turned out this cake was a bit of a project, but it was undeniably worth it.

The white cake is delicious, very tender, not overly sweet, and sturdy enough to support the lemon filling without compressing. The lemon filling has the perfect texture, with a spot-on, bright and tangy lemon flavor.  The frosting is a seven-minute or boiled frosting, which I had never made before, but fell in love with…it’s marshmallow-y creaminess is a wonderful foil to the tangy lemon filling. I also loved the fact that the frosting had no butter and no powdered sugar!

I will definitely be making this cake again. But I’d have a definite plan—I’d do it in three parts over three days. Day one, make the lemon filling. Day two, bake the cakes. Day of the party, make the frosting and assemble the cake!

A few other hints:

• First thing, before you get everything else ready, cut 1 cube of butter into ½” pieces, and put them in the freezer. You will need to use these frozen butter cubes in the lemon filling.
• I was tempted to grate the rind of a few lemons to add to the lemon filling, and I am so glad I didn’t! The lemon filling was tangy enough as it was 🙂 I think adding lemon rind would have ruined it.
• Don’t be afraid of the frosting. You’ll need an instant-read thermometer, a double boiler, and an electric mixer, but it’s really pretty easy to make, and it’s fat free and so yummy!
• I frosted this cake the night before it was to be served, and it turned out to not be a great idea. The frosting seemed to loose a bit of it’s volume overnight. I think you could layer the cake with the lemon filling the night before, cover with plastic wrap (or a cake dome) and refrigerate, but I think the frosting needs to be made, and applied to the cake, just a few hours before the cake is to be served.

Lemon Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the Filling:

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, from about 6 lemons—the additional 1 tablespoon is for the frosting
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin—less than one package, so measure out a teaspoonful
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 4 large eggs
• 6 large egg yolks—reserve all of the egg whites for the cake
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into ½” cubes and frozen

For the Cake:

• 2¼ cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature—leftover from the filling egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened but still cool

For the Fluffy White Icing:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar, 7 ounces)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice—from ½ a lemon
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Prepare the Filling First!

1. Measure 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top to soften.
2. Heat the rest of the lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot but not bubbling.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks until blended.
4. Slowly whisk the lemon syrup into the eggs, then return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170° on an instant-read thermometer.
5. Stir in the softened gelatin until completely dissolved.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the frozen butter until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. If desired or necessary, pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a non-reactive bowl—I skipped this step.
7. Cover the surface with plastic wrap so your filling doesn’t form a skin or crust on top, then chill until firm—at least four hours or up to two days. Stir mixture to loosen before spreading on cake layers.

To Bake the Cake:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Grease and flour two 9″ round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla.
4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt at low speed.
5. With the mixer still running on low speed, add the butter pieces one at a time until the mixture resembles fine, even crumbs.
6. Stop the mixer and add all but about ½ cup of the wet ingredients. Beat the batter at medium speed until it is pale and fluffy, about 1½ minutes.
7. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the rest of the wet ingredients, then crank the speed back up to medium and beat for 30 seconds more. Scrape down the bowl and beat for 30 more seconds.
8. Divide the batter equally among the two cake pans and smooth the tops.
9. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean—do not overbake! Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment and cool completely, right side up.
10. When the filling has chilled and the cake layers are cool, begin assembling the cake.
11. Slice the cake layers in half horizontally. Place one layer golden side down on a serving platter, and tuck a few strips of parchment paper under the edges of the cake to protect the platter.
12. Spread a third of the lemon filling on the cake layer, leaving a ½” border around the edge of the cake. Repeat twice more with cake layers and filling.
13. Place the top layer of the cake golden side up.

To Make the Icing:

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl of standing mixer or large heatproof bowl and set over medium saucepan filled with 1″ of barely simmering water—do not let bowl touch water.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 160° on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove bowl from heat and transfer mixture to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment.
4. 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.
5. Using an icing spatula, spread frosting on cake. Serve!

Notes From ATK: 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.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!