Aunt Paulines Lemon Sponge Cake Recipes

LEMON CAKE - WITH A SECRET FLUFFY LEMON FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter (Note 9). Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
• Cake pans: Grease 3 x 20cm / 8" cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 10 more pan sizes) Best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.
• Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
• With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
• Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
• Heat Milk-Butter: While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter (or use stove). Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam is ok). If you do this ahead, cover and keep hot while beating eggs.
• Gently add flour: When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
• Lighten hot milk with some Egg Batter: Pour hot milk, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles or so) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (don't need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth - you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
• Slowly add milk: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
• Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds - batter should now be smooth and pourable.
• Pour batter into pans.
• Knock out bubbles: Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles (Note 10 for why)
• Bake 23 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
• Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down - slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.
• Frost with provided Lemon Frosting, or Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting from this Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake recipe.
• Thickening roux: Place flour and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
• Add milk: While whisking constantly, slowly pour the milk in (this ensure it's lump free). As the milk gets hotter, it will start to thicken - stir constantly so the base doesn't catch.
• Thicken roux: Cook until the mixture thickens in a thick, dolloping custard - see video for texture. (Note 13 tip)
• Cool: Remove from heat and scrape into a bowl. Cover with cling wrap, pressing down onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely (20 min counter then 30 min fridge), but do not let it get fridge cold. (Note 14) It will firm into a very thick paste.
• FROSTING - cream butter: Beat butter with either a handheld beater or stand mixer (with whisk attachment) for 3 minutes until it's smooth and changes from yellow to very pale yellow, almost white.
• FROSTING - add roux: While beating on speed 5, add the roux one heaped tablespoon at a time. Take about 1 minute to add it all. Once all added, add lemon zest and juice, then whip for 2 minutes until you can see that it is stiff enough to hold peaks liek whipped cream. Do not whip more than 4 to 5 minutes (this will activate starch and make it sticky).
• Flip a cake layer upside down (for level surface). Spread with 3 - 4mm / 0.12 - 0.16" frosting. Top with another upside cake layer, spread with ore frosting. Cover with final cake layer then use remaining frosting to cover top and sides.

AUNT TC'S LEMON-LIME SODA CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease and flour a fluted 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan.
• Beat the granulated sugar and butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, blending well after each addition, until the batter is smooth; stir in the lemon extract. Mix the lemon-lime soda into the batter and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• For the glaze: Beat the confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon-lime soda and extracts together in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the glaze is smooth.
• Pierce holes in the cake with a skewer. Pour 1/4 cup glaze over the cake. Flip the cake onto a serving plate to remove from the pan, then pour the remaining glaze on top. The cake can be served immediately, but tastes even better the longer it sits.

BEST LEMON CAKE RECIPE (LEMON SPONGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Squeeze out the juice of the lemon and get the zest. Set aside. Prepare the cake pans by rubbing with butter then lining with parchment/baking paper. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven at a temperature of 150C (fan) or 170C (Conventional oven).
• In a mixing bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer to mix till it turns pale (light in color) and is fluffy. This is called the creaming process.
• Break the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter/sugar mix and beat with the mixer till it comes together.Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk till it's combined.
• Add flour/baking powder mix to the batter and use a spatula to mix. When it's come together, use the mixer to mix till smooth (This takes about 30 seconds. Do not overmix).
• Divide the cake batter equally into the two prepared cake pans. Put the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or till a cake tester when inserted comes out clean.
• Bring out the cakes and leave them in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a cake rack to cool.
• When cakes are completely cooled, you can then fill and cover with frosting.

AUNT PAULINE'S LEMON SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.
• Gradually add sugar then extracts.
• Fold in flour sifted with salt a little at a time.
• Beat egg white until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat until they form moist glossy peaks.
• Gold into egg yolk mixture.
• Bake in ungreased tube pan in 325 degree oven, one hour.

LEMON-BUTTERMILK POUND CAKE WITH AUNT EVELYN'S LEMON GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).
• Beat white sugar and 1 1/2 cups butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, thoroughly beating each egg into the butter mixture before adding the next.
• Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix well. Pour in 1/2 the buttermilk and beat until combined. Repeat adding the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, beating well after each addition, and ending with the flour mixture. Stir lemon extract into batter. Pour batter into prepared tube pan.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cake platter or plate.
• Beat confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons butter, and lemon zest together in a bowl until glaze is smooth. Pour about half the glaze over the cake; let cool. Pour remaining glaze over the cake.

LEMON & BUTTERMILK POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and flour a loaf tin measuring 22 x 11 x 7cm. Sift the flour with a pinch of salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the lemon zest. Gradually add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix the buttermilk with the lemon juice. Fold the flour mixture into the batter, alternating with the buttermilk and lemon mixture.
• Scrape the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to sit for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack with a tray underneath it. Set the cake the right way up.
• To make the syrup, put the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pierce the cake all over with a skewer then, while the cake is still warm, pour the syrup over slowly. Leave to cool.
• Gradually add the lemon juice to the icing sugar and mix until just smooth. If runny, put in the fridge for about 10 mins - you don't want it to set, you just want it become a little firmer. Pour or spread the icing over the cake (the bits that drizzle down the side will be caught by the tray under the cooling rack). This icing won't set hard, but do leave it to set a little before serving.

LEMON SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Butter a deep, loose-bottomed, 18cm cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter and caster sugar together with an electric whisk until fluffy and pale in colour. Crack the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the lemon zest. Fold in the flour, baking powder and ½ tsp salt, then fold in the yogurt.
• Spoon the mixture into the lined tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-55 mins, or until golden brown on top and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container for up to four days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
• When you're ready to decorate, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in enough of the lemon juice to create a thick icing. Set the cake on a serving plate or cake stand, then spoon over the icing, allowing it to drip down the sides a little. Top with the lemon zest or candied peel, if using (see below), and cut into generous wedges to serve.
• To make candied lemon peel, peel large, wide strips from the lemons using a vegetable peeler. Remove any pith with a knife, then julienne the peel into very thin matchsticks. Tip the granulated sugar into a saucepan with 200ml water and set over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon peel and simmer gently for 15 mins, then scoop the peel out using a slotted spoon and set on a piece of kitchen paper to cool. Use to decorate the top of your cake.

AUNT MARGARET'S LEMON CREAM SPONGECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and grease and flour a 7- to 8-inch round cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and eggs until thick and pale and beat in vanilla. Into a small bowl sift together flour and cornstarch and fold into egg mixture. Gently fold in butter until combined well.
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.
• With a serrated knife halve cake horizontally and spread bottom layer with lemon curd. Beat cream with confectioners' sugar until it just holds stiff peaks and spread on top of lemon curd. Top cream with remaining cake layer and sprinkle top of cake with remaining tablespoon granulated sugar.