2012 Cooking Club Week 34: Lemon Cake with lemon curd filling

paperclip2

I've loved reading the other recipes in Cooking Club and then mucking around with them at home and I thought it would be a nice, straightforward process to post one of my own.

Dear Lord did I get a land

Why is it when you start to think about what you're doing in the kitchen it suddenly becomes so much more complicated, at least it did for me!

I was going to do something a bit more technically challenging but this is one of the my favorite cakes and it, or a version of it was the first thing I was ever taught to bake (back when I was about 7 and dinosaurs roamed the earth), so its a really taste memory of childhood for me.

Its a very simple whisked sponge and can be flavoured lots of different ways. Lemon is my favourite but its such an easy versatile sponge you can pretty much go anywhere with it. I've done chocolate versions, coffee, coconut, strawberry, orange. The basics remain the same.

Lots of you will probably recognise the recipe, I think it was in an old Home Economics text book and I've seen versions of it lots of places, including the Kylemore Abbey Nuns cookbook.

Ok,
Lemon Cake with lemon curd filling.



Please make sure the ingredients are at room temperature. If the eggs especially are cold the cake won't rise as much although it will still taste good.

Ingredients for the sponge

Very straightforward. Basically its the four, four and four cake. You can scale it up to the five, five and five, just remember to use bigger tins.

• 4 medium eggs
• 4 oz sugar (I use Vanilla Sugar)
• 4 oz of self raising flour
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of good, natural lemon extract or finely grated zest of half a lemon.

If you are worried that your flour is a bit 'old' you can add a half tsp of baking powder

If you want metric measures I translate 4oz as 110grms
Preheat oven to 180C

Method
Whisk the eggs and sugar until it triples in volume and becomes very light, pale and 'moussy'. In my food mixer this can take at least 10 mins but its a really important stage as getting the air into the sponge is what makes it light and fluffy later and gives a better rising. For the last minute add in the lemon extract or zest and mix through.

While its mixing grease and flour two 8inch or 20cm sandwich tins:


You want the mixture to get to the 'ribbon stage, when you lift the beaters a ribbon of mixture sits on the surface for a few seconds before melding back in:


Next stage sieve in the flour and baking powder if using. Lift the sieve up high to capture more air. Fold in the flour fully but gently. If you beat or mix too vigourously it toughens the cake and you lose a lot of the air and lightness.



Divide the mixture between the pans and bake in the centre of the oven at 180C for 20-25 mins. Its not a good idea to open the oven door for the first 20 mins or so. Every time I do this the cakes fall back so in this case patience is a virtue

The cakes are done when they shrink away from the sides of the pan and the surface of the cake springs back when you press it gently. Let the cakes cool for 5 mins before turning them out of their tins to cool fully.


Lemon Curd Filling.

I love homemade lemon curd as the shop bought ones can taste a bit too sugary. This one is really sharp and is also lovely as a 'cheat' filling for a lemon tart or lemon meringue pie. To my shame I have made this once or twice for no reason other than to eat it on my own with a spoon in front of the telly.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 150 grms caster sugar
• 100 grms butter
• finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar together and melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan over low-ish heat. If you don't have a heavy bottomed saucepan then you do need to keep a closer eye on the curd as it cooks as it can stick and burn.
When the butter melts add in the eggs and sugar mixture along with the zest and juice. Keep stirring as it cooks. It takes between 8 and 15 mins to thicken depending on your saucepan size, base and the heat you cook it at. I like to live dangerously so I have a moderate gas flame under mine.
The curd will go through the stages below.






It wont be fully set in the pot but will thicken to 'curdy' consistency as it cools.

Lemon Buttercream
I dont always but sometimes I make a lemon buttercream for the top and sides:

Ingredients:

• 130grms soft unsalted butter
• 300grms sifted icing sugar
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• zest of 1/2 to 1 lemon, depending on your taste
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice.

Method
Beat the butter and half the sugar together. When its mixed add in the rest of the sugar and beat at high speed for at least 5 minutes. Add in the extract, zest and juice to taste. Add more or less juice according to how sharp you want it.
Cover the filled cooled cake spreading over the top and sides. Add whatever decorations you like.


If you don't like buttercream and I often don't go the rounds of making it you can whip about 75mls -100mls of cream and spread this over the top. Add a scatter of lemon lest and you have a gorgeous, low effort cake.
Another variation is to make a meringue frosting and you have a lemon meringue sponge. I use the meringue frosting from Nigella Lawsons, Love Buns (Dear God what does that sound like!!! :eek:) in the book 'Feast'. Link to the recipe: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/love-buns-2922

Hope you enjoy it.