Lemon Buttercream Cake with Lemon Curd

I have been itching to make a lemon cake from scratch for a long while now… So after listening to a cd on the Family Meal Table, I was inspired to make our first meal thereafter special.
I began with making the lemon curd.
As I mentioned on facebook (if you are friends with me there 😉 I thoroughly enjoyed this.
It was very satisfying in a weird way. Here’s how you make it with the recipe I used…

Lemon Curd:

3 large eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)

1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used salted and it worked fine)

Lemon Curd: In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn’t form) and refrigerate for up to a week.
Makes 1 1/2 cups (360 ml).
Note: If you want a lighter lemon curd whip 1/2 cup (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream and fold into the lemon curd.

Here is the cake recipe I used…

3 cup(s) cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1 cup(s) butter, softened
2 1/2 cup(s) sugar
5 eggs
1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/4 cup(s) lemon juice
3/4 cup(s) buttermilk

Filling:

Lemon curd, raspberry jam, or icing

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 parchment-paper-lined 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a mixer set on medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the lemon juice and buttermilk.
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick tests clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Unmold the cakes and cool completely.
Split cakes into 4 layers using a long serrated knife. Fill with lemon curd, jam, or icing. Apply crumb coat and frosting and decorate as desired.

After the cake was out and cooled I used this recipe for lemon buttercream icing.

1/2 cup(s) (about 3 large eggs) egg whites
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 pound(s) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon(s) finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice

Directions

Make the frosting: In a large stainless-steel bowl placed over a pot filled with 1 inch of simmering water, place the egg whites and sugar. Use a whisk to beat the mixture until it is very hot to the touch (about 160 degrees F). Remove from heat and, using a mixer set on high speed, immediately begin whipping the mixture until it is cool, thick, and glossy and has tripled in volume — about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add the butter — about a quarter cup at a time — allowing 5 to 10 seconds in between each addition. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.

It turned out great. It was tart and sweet and wonderful.