A Taste of Yellow: Behind the icing

Yes, another cake post, another update on cake class (the last of cake 1, on to cake 2 next week.)

However, this time I thought ahead so that I could participate in a special blogging event, called A Taste of Yellow, hosted by Barbara of Winos and Foodies. Barbara, a cancer survivor herself, decided to host this event to help raise awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer. All it required was for us foodie bloggers to make something involving a yellow ingredient! How much easier can it be to help support a good cause?

With this event in mind, I present the last cake of cake 1 class, a lemon layer cake, iced in pale yellow, and topped with my first ever roses!

Now don't get too excited - I need so much more practice to make a really good rose that it is scary. Roses are the most frustrating thing to make - and I found them so much harder to do than making croissants!

However even a slightly ragged rose with a horrible center bud (that is my biggest problem, getting that first bud), is a pretty rose.

This is the third cake I've made in the last three weeks for this class, but is going to be the first cake that I actually talk about the cake itself, not just the icing. (Have I mentioned that I don't think I really like icing anymore? At least not to eat - though I suspect if you gave me cream cheese icing, I could live with that.) I can't tell you how this cake tastes, yet, since I haven't yet cut into it. I can tell you it was very quick to make, using this recipe:


LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH LEMON CREAM FROSTING

For cake layers
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

For frosting
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Lemon curd, chilled

Make cake layers: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms of each with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir together milk and lemon juice (mixture will curdle).

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour, mixing at low speed until just combined.

Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.

Make frosting: Beat cream and confectioners sugar with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third of whipped cream into lemon curd to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble cake: Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake plate and spread with one fourth of frosting. Top with second layer, rounded side up, and spread top and sides with remaining frosting.

Makes 1 (8-inch) layer cake

Now I did not make the frosting since I had to use the class "butter cream." If it turns out I like this cake, then I will try it again using the recipe's frosting.

One note - yes the recipe makes 1 8 inch layer cake, which it does, but the layers are not very high. I actually had some concern when pouring the batter in the pans that I would have to go back and make another batch so I could have a third layer for a more "normal" height of cake. In the end I decided to leave well enough alone and go with a slightly shorter cake, knowing it would be topped with mounds of icing later.

If you haven't already, head over to Barbara's blog and read up on A Taste of Yellow - then get baking and make something to show your support of yellow!