Sam’s “Welcome Back” Cake

A celebratory confection for very special occasions

Lemon Cake with Mascarpone-Lemon Curd frosting
Yield: Makes 12-16 servings

Lemon curd

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 9 lemons
  • 6 eggs
  • 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

Cake

  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 14 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

For lemon curd:
Grate zest from lemons to equal 3 Tblsp. Cut lemons in half. Squeeze juice into measuring cup to equal 1.5 cups. Pour through strainer to remove seeds. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add lemon juice to butter mixture, beating at low speed. Stir in zest. (mixture will look curdled). Transfer to a 4 qt microwave safe bowl.
Microwave at HIGH 6 minutes, stirrings at 2 min intervals. Microwave additional 3-5 minutes, stirring at 1 min intervals, until mixture thickens, coats the back of a spoon and starts to mound slightly when stirred
Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on warm curd to prevent a film from forming. Chill 4 hours or until firm. Store up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line bottom of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides (I use spring form pans with removable bottom) with parchment paper (do not grease pans or parchment).
Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and slowly dissolving ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes.
Make a meringue: Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 7 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff and glossy.
Fold half of whites into yolk mixture, then sift half of flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt over and gently fold in until incorporated. Fold in remaining whites, then sift remaining flour over and fold in just until combined, being careful not to deflate batter. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake about 15 minutes or until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on racks.
Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard rounds. Cut each cake horizontally in half (layers will be thin) using cake splitter or taut thread. Peel off parchment.

For syrup:
Place sugar in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup boiling water; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir in lemon juice.

For filling and frosting:
Reserve 1 cup lemon curd for spreading on cakes.
Beat whipping cream and sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Add mascarpone to remaining lemon curd in medium bowl; whisk until blended. Fold whipped cream into lemon-mascarpone mixture.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Brush with 1/4 of syrup (2 Tblsp). Spread 1/4 cup lemon curd over, then 1 cup lemon-mascarpone filling. Top with second cake layer; brush with 1/4 of syrup and spread with 1/4 cup lemon curd and 1 cup lemon-mascarpone filling. Repeat with third cake layer, syrup, lemon curd, and filling. Top with fourth cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup, then spread remaining lemon curd over. Spoon 2 cups lemon-mascarpone filling into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch star tip (to be used for rosettes). Spread remaining lemon-mascarpone filling as a frosting over sides of cake. Pipe small rosettes of frosting over top of cake, covering completely. Cover cake with cake dome; refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Can garnish with thin lemon slices (Meyer lemons if you can get them) cut into 4ths, if desired.

Candied Lemon Slices

Ingredients

  • 2 small lemons
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup water

Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; discard seeds. Stir together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon slices, and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, 14 to 16 minutes or until slightly translucent and rinds are softened. Remove from heat. Place slices in a single layer in a wax paper-lined jelly-roll pan, using tongs. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 2 hours to 2 days. Reserve syrup for another use.

A celebratory confection for very special occasions

Lemon Cake with Mascarpone-Lemon Curd frosting
Yield: Makes 12-16 servings

Lemon curd

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 9 lemons
  • 6 eggs
  • 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

Cake

  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 14 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

For lemon curd:
Grate zest from lemons to equal 3 Tblsp. Cut lemons in half. Squeeze juice into measuring cup to equal 1.5 cups. Pour through strainer to remove seeds.