Sunday, October 21, 2012

Lemonade Cake

 My sister turned twenty years old this past week and I was honored to be able to make her her favorite cake. She loves anything lemon and I was not about to complain when she asked me to make her a lemonade cake. Layered cakes are so not easy, but this turned out surprisingly better than i had anticipated.
Lemonade Cake (enough to make a two layered cake)

You will need: one cup of unsalted butter, two and one half cups of flour, one-half teaspoon of baking powder, one-half teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of  salt, one tablespoon of lemon zest, two cups of sugar, two large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, one-fourth cup plus two table spoons of lemon juice, one cup of low-fat buttermilk, one lemon, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter two 8x2 inch cake pans. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. 2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and one and a half cups of sugar until it's light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in two tablespoons of lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. 3. Divide batter between the pans;smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. 4. While cakes are baking, bring remaining half cup of sugar and half cup of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add lemon slices and simmer for 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a waxed-paper-lined plate. Stir remaining fourth cup fresh lemon juice into syrup. 5. Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely. Prepare frosting. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices.

Whipped Frosting  (enough for five cups)

You will need: Three large egg whites, three-fourth cup of sugar, one pinch of salt, one-third cup of water, two tablespoons of lemon juice

1. In a heatproof bowl, set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and water. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved (or mixture registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), two to three minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until glossy, stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about three minutes; reduce speed to low, add lemon juice, and beat just until combined. Use immediately.

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