Edna Lewiss Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Recipes

EDNA LEWIS'S LEMON CHEESE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment or waxed paper. Mix flour, baking powder and salt and sift onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping sides as needed. Whisk egg whites until well blended but not foamy, and add to batter in 4 batches, making sure each addition is well incorporated.
• Add dry ingredients and milk to batter, alternately, in 4 batches, mixing each only until just blended. Mix in vanilla.
• Divide batter among 3 pans. Gently drop each one on a counter to eliminate large air bubbles. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cake springs back in center when pressed or a cake tester comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes, then remove cake from pan and cool completely on rack.
• Meanwhile, make curd: Put all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and whisk to blend. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until filling thickens and a candy thermometer registers 170 degrees. This can take 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let filling simmer or boil. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool to room temperature.
• Place a cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup curd on top to the edges. Stack another layer and continue until all layers have been used. Use remaining curd on top and sides. Filling is somewhat translucent, so layers will be visible through curd on sides. If layers slide while frosting, push 3 or 4 long wooden skewers through them to hold until cake sets. Cake is best left covered at room temperature overnight.

EASY LEMON LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line the base of two 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together for 3 mins using an electric whisk until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the flour and baking powder until well incorporated, then fold in the yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest. Divide between the tins and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the drizzle. Tip the sugar, lemon juice and 100ml water into a small pan set over a medium heat and stir until dissolved. Add the lemon zest, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 mins until the zest has softened and the liquid is syrupy. Remove the zest to a sheet of baking parchment using a slotted spoon, and remove the syrup from the heat.
• Leave the sponges to cool for 10 mins in the tins, then pour over the warm drizzle. Leave to cool completely.
• For the icing, beat the butter and icing sugar together using an electric whisk for 4-5 mins until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla and soft cheese and beat for 4 mins more until thick and creamy. Don't worry if it doesn't look thick at first - it will loosen, then thicken again as you beat it.
• Remove the cooled sponges from the tins. Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Put one sponge on a cake stand or serving plate, and pipe just under half the icing around the edge using a circular motion for a wavy effect. Pipe a little more icing over the empty middle (this doesn't need to be neat) and smooth with the back of a spoon. Chill for 45 mins-1 hr until set. Top with the second sponge, then pipe eight blobs of icing around the edge at regular intervals, leaving a gap between each. Spoon the candied lemon zest into each gap, then serve.

LEMON CHEESE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake layer pans.
• Combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, milk, vegetable oil and the 3 whole eggs. Mix until blended. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cakes test done. Set aside cakes to cool.
• To Make Lemon Cheese Filling: In the top half of a double boiler combine the egg yolks, white sugar, butter or margarine, flour, grated lemon rind and lemon juice. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture is thick enough to spread. Let cool before spreading between cooled cake layers.