When I dropped the kids off at their grandma's for their annual summer stay, she wouldn't let me leave without a big bag of lemons from their lemon tree. What to do?
Anything lemon-y is worth doing super-lemony. So with Father's Day coming up, I jumped at the chance to make a lemon berry cake in his honor. Yes, yes, I know. He's diabetic. But he keeps his numbers low and is allowed to indulge every once in a while. Namely, when I get a wild hare up my ass to bake a cake.
The 1-2-3-4 Lemon Cake over at marthastewart.com fit the bill. Easygoing, but not overly so, as there are a few processes involved: making lemon curd, making cake, whipping up whipped cream. And shaving chocolate (yay!)
It's called a 1-2-3-4 cake because of the old-school recipe that calls for one cup butter, two cups sugar, three cups flour and four eggs. I love this cake; it's rustic and toothsome, not all pillowy soft like a cake from a box. It'll stand up to any number of toppings you want to throw at it.
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1-2-3-4 Lemon Cake
www.marthastewart.com
Makes one 8-inch round layer cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 2 lemons
3 cups Lemon Curd (recipe below)
Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe below)
12 ounces assorted fresh berries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with flour; tap out any excess.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until lightened, 3 to 4 minutes; scrape down sides once or twice. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, about 5 minutes; stop once or twice to scrape down sides.
4. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, a little of each at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven for even browning. Continue baking until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes; set on racks, tops up, until completely cool.
Lemon Curd
www.marthastewart.com
Makes 1 1/2 cups
NOTE: Make sure to double this recipe to make the three cups of curd that the cake recipe calls for!
3 large egg yolks, strained
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth.
3. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
www.marthastewart.com
Makes 1 1/3 cups
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1. Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar; continue whipping on medium speed until the soft peaks return, 2 to 3 minutes. Use immediately.
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I'd had enough of using the wrong tool. I have the wrong kind of lemon zester, which is all well and good if you want only want long, thin, curly ribbons of zest, which is almost never. So for this project, I finally caved and bought the right kind of lemon zester.
"Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon." That phrase makes sense after you make curd just once. When it has cooked long enough, it gets to a point where it coats the back of the spoon, instead of ... not coating the back of the spoon.
ZOMG. Nectar of the gods, I tell you. Double the recipe. Triple it. Quadruple it. Just make sure you have enough to pour yourself a generous mug of it to sip on when no one's looking.
The recipe calls for 2"-inch deep round cake pans. The only 2"-inch deep cake pans I have are square. All my round ones are 1 inch deep.
So I skipped the dusting of confectioners sugar and opted instead for a mound of white chocolate shavings in the middle. Did I make the right call?
FINAL VERDICT: Lemon-y goodness is front and center in this one. A great way to put paid to a bushel of lemons foisted upon you by well-meaning in-laws. Would definitely make again. Thinking about a cupcake version, actually, cuz I still have a few lemons left. Stay tuned.
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