lemon layer cake with cranberry lemon curd

cranberry lemon cake
Originally uploaded by itslynzee.

right before christmas my mom gave me a recipe that she was particularly excited about. she had clipped it from the san francisco chronicle and not only had she clipped the recipe but she also clipped the picture which was on a separate page. as she was waving the picture around i think i made out the words… “looks… pretty!”. i figured that christmas would present a good opportunity to try it out. since sandia wanted to whip something up for dessert for christmas day i figured that i would make it for my christmas eve eve dinner and bring the leftovers to the house for mom to try. turns out that my friends don’t eat much (although they all claim that they do!) so i pretty much had a whole cake to bring to the house for christmas eve.

just a warning. this cake is incredibly labor intensive. it’s not difficult but there are a lot of steps involved. you probably will need to set aside two days in order to finish the whole thing. not that you will be spending the whole two days making the cake… but there’s cake cooling time, frosting time, curd making, curd cooling, and other various things to factor into the time allotment. my attempt didn’t stray far from the actual recipe. i used cream instead of milk because that’s what i had in my fridge and i didn’t make the candied garnish because frankly i was just tired of playing with the darned thing by the time i got to that part. instead i just garnished the cake with some frozen cranberries that i had hanging out in the freezer. frosting it was kind of fun. I was trying to recreate the swirly look that i see so often on bakery bought cakes. don’t think i got it quite right but it’s sort of close. guess i probably need a little more practice!

(below is a cut and paste of the recipe as it’s sort of annoying to located within the article link)
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Lemon Layer Cake with Cranberry-Lemon Curd
Makes one 9-inch layer cake Serves 12-14
All three components of this cake require grated lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. It will make life easier to do this all at once. You may have a bit of curd left over, which can be used to serve alongside the cake, or would be good spooned into purchased tartlet shells with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
INGREDIENTS:
The cranberry-lemon curd
1 cup jellied cranberry sauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup butter, softened
The cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
The icing
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
To garnish
Sugared cranberries and lemon peel (see Note)
INSTRUCTIONS:
To prepare the curd: In a food processor, combine cranberry sauce, eggs, lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest. Process until smooth.
Put mixture into the top of a double boiler and heat, whisking frequently, until mixture has thickened significantly, about 15-20 minutes. Take care that the water in the pan does not boil, and that the eggs do not solidify.
When thick, remove from heat, and place softened butter on top. When butter has melted, stir until completely incorporated.
Place plastic wrap directly on the curd, so that a skin does not form, and cover entire bowl with more plastic wrap. Refrigerate until completely chilled (it will thicken further), at least 3 hours or overnight.
To prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, and set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy, about 20 seconds. Add sugar, and beat well on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down sides frequently, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the speed running low, add vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Do not be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled.
Beat in the dry ingredients alternating with the milk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl in between.
Divide batter between cake pans, and smooth out the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto the racks and cool completely.
To prepare the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer until well combined, about 20 seconds. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until texture is light and fluffy. You may not need all of the sugar. Taste the frosting, and add more lemon juice if desired.
To assemble: Cut the domed tops off each cake, so they lay flat, and then cut each cake though the equator, creating four even layers. Place the first layer on a serving platter or cake round, and top with 3/4 cup of the cranberry curd. Spread into an even layer, and place another cake layer on top. Spread 3/4 to 1 cup frosting over the second layer, and top with another round of cake. Spread 3/4 cup curd on top of this layer, and place the last layer of cake on top. Ice the sides and top of cake with remaining icing.
Garnish with sugared cranberries and candied lemon peel.
Note: To make garnishes, mix 2 tablespoons water with 2 egg whites. Whisk until frothy. Dip in whole fresh cranberries and curled lemon rind, and then roll in superfine sugar. Lay out on a parchment lined cookie sheet to dry for two hours, then keep refrigerated until ready to use. Mound in the center of the cake, or create a border with the garnish.
Per serving: 665 calories, 6 g protein, 97 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat (18 g saturated), 152 mg cholesterol, 329 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.