ULTIMATE LEMON LAYER CAKE

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Ultimate Lemon Layer Cake image

I love lemon cakes, pies, cookies, etc. This cake is the best! It comes from Cook's Illustrated Magazine, Mar/Apr 07 edition. As always, they area very precise with their directions, so they might be long, but don't be put off by that. The filling can be made a day ahead, it does get a little stiff, just stir it to loosen it up a bit. Chill leftovers.

Provided by SweetSueAl

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h25m

Yield 10-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

1 cup fresh lemon juice, about 6 lemons (no bottled, please)
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin, plain
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
6 large egg yolks, from large eggs (reserve egg whites for cake)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and frozen
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, but still cool
2 large egg whites, from large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (again, no bottled)
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Steps:

  • Filling: Measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over the top.
  • Heat remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in medium non-reactive sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot, but not boiling.
  • Whisk eggs and yolks in a large non-reactive bowl.
  • Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan.
  • Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 170° and is thick enought to leave a trail when a spatula is scraped along the bottom of the pan, about 4-6 minutes.
  • Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated.
  • Pour filling through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl.
  • Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, about 4 hours.
  • Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together egg milk, egg whites and vanilla.
  • In a mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix at slow speed.
  • Add butter one piece at a time, continue to beat until mixture resembles moist crumbs and no visible butter chunks.
  • Add all but 1 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes.
  • With mixer running, add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture, beat 1 mintute more.
  • Divide batter evenly between cake pans.
  • Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick in center of cakes comes out clean.
  • Loosen cakes from side of pan with a small knife, cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from pan onto greased wire rack, remove parchment paper, invert again and cool completely.
  • Icing: Combine all ingredients in a mixer bowl or heatproof bowl.
  • Set over medium saucepan filled with 1-inch of simmering water.
  • Cook stirring constantly until mixture reaches 160°, 5-10 minutes.
  • Transfer mixture to mixer bowl (if needed) and 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, about 5 minutes longer.
  • Assembly: Cut each layer in half horizontally.
  • Spread 1 cup of lemon filling evenly on each cake, (except the top layer) leaving 1/2-inch border around cake.
  • Place top layer on cakes, smooth out any filling that may have leaked from the layers.
  • Refrigerate while you make the icing.
  • Spread icing on cake.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 750.7, Fat 28.8, SaturatedFat 16.7, Cholesterol 274, Sodium 498, Carbohydrate 115.1, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 88, Protein 10.9

Fatoki Samson
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This cake was a bit disappointing. The lemon flavor was not as strong as I had hoped, and the cake was a bit dry.


Chance Hooper
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This cake is beautiful and delicious! I'm so glad I found this recipe.


Zainab Aliyu
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I've made this cake for my family and friends several times, and it's always a hit. It's the perfect dessert for any occasion.


Antony Tshuma
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This cake is a bit too sweet for my taste. I would recommend reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe by half.


Anuwar Safa
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I'm allergic to nuts, so I substituted the walnuts in the recipe with chopped pecans. The cake still turned out great!


Muskan Kiyani
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This cake is so easy to make, and it always turns out perfectly. I love that I can make it ahead of time and it still tastes fresh.


Alicia Jordan
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I made this cake for a bake sale, and it was a huge success! Everyone loved it, and I sold out of all my slices.


Nikita Mottley
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This cake was a disaster! It didn't rise properly, and the frosting was too runny. I had to throw the whole thing away.


Santosh Neupane
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I'm not a big fan of lemon desserts, but I actually really enjoyed this cake. The lemon flavor was not too strong, and the cake was very moist.


Anyanwu Eunice
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This cake was a bit more work than I expected, but it was worth it. The end result was a beautiful and delicious cake that was perfect for a special occasion.


Araceli Guillen
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I made this cake for my husband's birthday, and he loved it! He said it was the best lemon cake he had ever had.


Crow Hunter
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I followed the recipe exactly, but my cake didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. The cake was a bit dry and the lemon flavor was overpowering.


Mariam Gebril
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This cake is delicious! The lemon flavor is subtle but present, and the cake is moist and fluffy. I would definitely recommend this recipe.


Yeamin Khan
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I've made this cake several times now, and it always turns out perfectly. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the cake is always a crowd-pleaser.


Nakiranda Leticia
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This lemon layer cake was a huge hit at my daughter's birthday party! It was so moist and fluffy, and the lemon flavor was perfectly balanced. I'll definitely be making this again for future celebrations.


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