Triple Lemon Supreme
When I heard that Bosch was celebrating their 3rd anniversary of being on Twitter, I decided that a cake was in order {I can take just about any occasion as an excuse to make a cake}! It couldn’t be just any cake either—it had to be something spectacular so I set out to make a triple layer lemon cake with a lemon custard filling and a lightly scented lemon buttercream frosting. Since my mom {the Queen of Cakes} is in town I had to be sure this cake was more than fabulous! In the event that you are pressed for time (or don’t have a dishwashing mama following you around the kitchen) you could certainly cheat on the filling and simply whip together some store bought lemon curd and mascarpone cheese to use as the filling. In all, this recipe uses about 4 large or 5 small Meyer lemons. If you can't get your hands on Meyer lemons, regular lemons will work just as well; just be sure that they don't have the waxy coating on them when it comes to getting your zest. Fresh lemons are best.
Ingredients:
For the custard:
1 whole egg + 2 egg yolks
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
1 1/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon of Meyer lemon zest
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces
For the cake:
1 vanilla cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
1/2 cup melted butter
1 whole egg, plus two egg whites {use the whites leftover from the custard}
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
For the frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2-3 cups confectioners sugar
juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sour cream
Directions:
For the custard:
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice; set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the milk, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch and stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens (about two minutes), then remove from heat.
Slowly whisk about half of the egg/sugar mixture into the custard mixture until well combined, then whisk in the remaining egg/sugar mixture. Return saucepan to medium high heat and continue whisking until mixture comes to a boil again and gains a pudding like consistency. Remove from heat.
Place custard into a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium sized bowl. Using your whisk, push the custard through the strainer until only clumps and lemon zest remain. Quickly whisk in the butter pieces and immediately place plastic wrap directly onto the custard, being sure there are no air pockets. Allow custard to come to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made a day ahead of time.
For the cake:
Preheat oven to Convection Bake setting at 325 degrees or Bake at 350 if your oven does not have that feature. Line 3- 6” cake pans {or 2- 8” cake pans} with parchment paper and spray with baking spray {or grease with butter and flour}. Set aside.
Preheat oven to Convection Bake setting at 325 degrees or Bake at 350 if your oven does not have that feature. Line 3- 6” cake pans {or 2- 8” cake pans} with parchment paper and spray with baking spray {or grease with butter and flour}. Set aside.
Add cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, and butter to a large mixing bowl and blend using a hand-mixer until well incorporated. Stir in zest.
Fill cake pans about halfway full and bake for about 14-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry. Remove cakes from oven and allow them to cool on a baking rack.
Once cool, use a cake leveler* {or knife} to slice off the top of the cake, making it an even height across. Flip the cake upside down and gently slice off the browned bottom {this is not necessary but makes for a prettier cake when you cut into it}. *When you are making a multiple layer cake, the cake leveler is helpful in making sure all of your layers are precisely the same height. If you don’t have one, just trust your eyeballs!
Place one cake on your cake stand or serving platter and top with about half (maybe less) of your lemon custard, being sure not to bring the custard to close to the edges (or it might bleed out the sides once you begin frosting the cake) . Top with another cake and repeat. You may have a little extra custard—if so, top it with some fresh berries and devour!
For the frosting:
Using a hand mixer {or stand mixer} blend together the butter and half a cup of the confectioners sugar until well incorporated. Slowly add the remaining confectioners sugar (about a half cup at a time) until all has been incorporated. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and sour cream and continue beating until frosting is light and fluffy.
Using about half of the frosting, coat the cake with one layer of frosting. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. This will ensure no little browned cake bits show up when you add your final coat of frosting.
Once cake is chilled, add your final coating of frosting. If desired, use a piping bag to make pretty designs and décor.
