Lemon Layer Cake (better known as my daughter’s favorite birthday cake)

This cake is wonderfully lemony with that great crumb only buttermilk can provide. It’s a compilation of a couple of recipes I’ve used over the years, one by the incomparable Maida Heatter. This recipe, as written, bakes up into two 8” layers, about 1 1/2” thick. As we like our birthday cakes to have a strong impact when they hit the table and my family loves as much frosting as possible, I always bake a double batch. You may divide it into three thick layers (9” pan, adjust cooking time) or bake four (8” layers)- three for the cake and one for the freezer for those “cake emergencies”. I recommend layers of lemon curd inside with a nice coating of frosting all around. My favorite here is a classic 7-minute frosting or a torched meringue while my daughter loves this with cream cheese frosting (updated lemony version below!). It’s entirely up to you! Also, this year my daughter requested lime (I substituted with the same amounts). It was an absolutely delicious substitution, lime curd and all!

Recipe for lemon curd is also below.

My favorite meringue recipe is here: https://zoebakes.com/2019/01/27/mile-high-lime-meringue-tart/ You may halve it, which is the perfect amount for one cake.

RECIPE

Lemon Layer Cake

ingredients-

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (in addition, you will need about 2 additional Tbs for the pans)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 Tbs lemon zest, packed 

1 1/2 cups cane sugar

2 eggs (room temp)

3 yolks 

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice 

1 cup buttermilk (room temp)

Plus:

1/2 cup sugar 

1/4 cup lemon juice 

1 lemon, thinly sliced (slightly less than 1/4” thick)

method-

1-Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8” round cake pans with butter and flour, line bottoms with parchment and press in. Flip parchment so buttered side is now on top and press in until smooth. Lightly dust with flour and invert to tap out any excess. Set aside. 

2-Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Toss in lemon zest and stir by hand to avoid clumps and make sure it’s evenly distributed. 

3-Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Set mixer to low and add eggs and yolk one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in 2 Tbs lemon juice.

4-Keeping mixer on low speed- Start with the flour mixture, alternate with buttermilk adding about 1/2 cup at a time, ending with flour until just combined. Do not over mix. 

5-Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans, smooth the tops and bake 30-35 minutes, until edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and top of the cake is golden. Allow to cool about 10 minutes and turn cakes out into a wire cooling rack, parchment side down as you will brush these with lemon syrup.

6-While cake bakes, make the lemon syrup and if you would like candies lemon slices, you may do this now as well (if not, skip the 25 minute simmer)

7-Bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. (Add lemon slices and simmer for 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a piece of wax paper and allow to cool.) Stir remaining 1/4 cup of lemon juice to warm syrup mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.

8-Using a toothpick, poke holes in the warm cakes while still on the rack and brush with a thin layer of lemon syrup. Allow to cool. 

I love this with a traditional 7-minute frosting or a torched meringue frosting. My daughter prefers cream cheese frosting. My new extra lemony option is below…

Candied lemon slices may also be chopped up and sprinkled on the top of the cake. I especially love this with the meringue frosting

My daughter’s new favorite is this:

Cream Cheese Frosting with Candied Lemon

ingredients-

1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese, room temp

1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter, room temp

1 lb confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbs lemon syrup (from step 7, above)

Candied lemon slices (3-5, from about 1/2 lemon, or to taste) finely minced

Pinch of flaky sea salt

method-

1- in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium high until fully incorporated and creamy.

2- add sugar about a cup at a time until silky then beat in vanilla, lemon juice, syrup and salt. Once incorporated, beat in minced candied lemon.

I like a traditional 7-minutes frosting and a layer of lemon curd in the middle. my daughter now loves this extra lemony cream cheese frosting in and around.

For a large crowd, double the recipe, make a triple layer cake and freeze the 4th layer for when that sweet tooth strikes! 

Lemon Curd (my brother’s recipe)

3 large egg yolks

2 large whole eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 lemons, zested

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and whole eggs. Add sugar and lemon juice. Set over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir to cool slightly. Strain curd through a sieve set over a small bowl. .

This is SUPER tart, which I like to contrast the sweetness of the meringue.. If you want tamer, add a few tbls butter when u take it off the heat.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups