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Luscious Orange-Lemon Curd Layer Cake Recipe

By Elaine Mellen

Posted on June 2, 2015

Summer parties are best with great desserts, like this luscious orange-lemon curd layer cake recipe.

The citrus flavors combine with a wonderful butter cream frosting to create an exquisite cake. Don’t forget the candied lemons on top!

Make two layer cakes to ensure leftovers. Your friends and family will all want seconds.

Orange-Lemon Curd Layer Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

5 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons orange zest

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 jar lemon curd (I like Stonewall Kitchen)

Lemon butter cream frosting (Ingredients and prep below)

Garnish: candied lemon slices (Ingredients and prep below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; add oil, egg yolks, and orange juice. Beat at medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Stir in zest.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into flour mixture. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350° F for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Place one cake layer on cake dish; spread with half of lemon curd one inch from cake edge. Top with second cake layer, spreading remaining lemon curd one inch from cake edge. You don’t want to spread to the end of the cake edge to ensure filling won’t spill out from cake as you put the other cake layers on top.

Place third cake layer on top. Spread lemon butter cream frosting on top and sides of cake. Garnish with candied lemon slices.

Orange-Lemon curd Layer Cake

Lemon Butter cream Frosting

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, nearly at room temperature (I use Cabot Butter)

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon extract

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter with lemon zest on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy (It should be nearly white). If using a paddle attachment that doesn’t constantly scrape bowl while mixing, then stop mixer occasionally throughout entire mixing process and scrape down bottom and sides of bowl.

Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar, then blend in lemon juice, cream, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.

Add remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, then whip mixture until very fluffy, about 4 – 5 minutes longer.

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Candied Lemon Slices

Ingredients:

2 small lemons

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup water

Directions:

Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; discard seeds.

Stir together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon slices and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, 14 to 16 minutes or until slightly translucent and rinds are softened.

Remove from heat. Place slices in a single layer in a wax paper-lined jelly-roll pan, using tongs. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

Cover and chill 2 hours. Can be made up to two days ahead.