Monday, October 08, 2007

Lemon Cheer

Well the country is in mourning and while I have no interest in sport, it really is disappointing! So I will resist gently pulling the legs of my online friends, (who are feeling this keenly) and instead I will post about this yummy cake.

Iced Lemon Curd Layer Cake
Delia Smith's Winter Collection, (1995), London: BBC Books, pg. 229

175g self-raising flour, sifted
1 level teaspoon baking powder
175g butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
grated rind of a lemon
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

For the Lemon Curd
75g caster sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
2 eggs
50g unsalted butter

For the Icing
50g sifted icing sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees C (325 F). Prepare 2 x 18cm sandwich tins, 4 cm deep by greasing them, & lining with baking paper.

Measure all the cake ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat - ideally with an electric hand whisk - till you have a creamy consistency. (I used my cake mixer). Divide the mixture between 2 tins and bake them on the centre shelf in the oven about 35 mins or until the centres feel springy with lightly touched with a little finger.

While the cakes cook, make the lemon curd. Place sugar and grated rind in a bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the eggs and then pour this over the sugar. Add the butter cut into little peices, and place bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until thickened. The recipe says you don't have to stay with it but to come back from time to time. I personally couldn't do that because I'm paranoid.

When cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven and after about 30 seconds, turn them out onto a rack. When they are absolutely cold, cute each one horizontally into 2 using a serrated knife. Spread the curd thickly to sandwich the sponges together. You will notice I didn't bother cutting the layers... my tins were slightly too large and thus the layers were too thin for me to cut into two. Heh heh - more lemon curd for me!

To make the icing, remove the zest from the lemon using a zester to get long curly strips. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually stir in the lemon juice until you have a soft runny consistency. Allow to stand for 5 mins and then spread on the cake. Scatter lemon zest on top.

DH discovered a cool technique to do in Lightroom. It's a kind of grungy, surreal, painty effect.
This is one DH did of DS and his kite. I did the one of DD. Before


and after..

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:52 am

    OMG Penny, that cakes looks so good! I think I'm drooling on my keyboard.

    Cute pictures.

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  2. Anonymous7:28 am

    The cake looks amazing, I am cheered just by looking at the photo and reading the recipe! Thanks!

    Great effects on the photos, too. Do you have the free trial of Lightroom, or did you buy it? I'm trying to decide if I should trial it (I'm worried I will love it so much that I won't be able to live without it, and I can't afford to buy it!! LOL)

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  3. Anonymous7:30 am

    So agree that cake looks fingerlickin good! And I am not supposed to eat cake;p *sniffs*
    Love the lightroom effect especially in the top picture it seems to give the photo a dark vignette around the edge, very cool.

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  4. Drooling over that cake - I love lemon. Also trying not to notice cool stuff I can do in Lightroom - because I think I REALLY want it. Sigh.

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  5. Anonymous1:14 pm

    had a giggle about the mourning as I am over it lol, it took me a day! That cake looks devine!!! Thanks or sharing and the effects of that programme on the photos looks fab!

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  6. (I also don't care too much about the rugby!) That cake looks sooo yummy - I can feel the weight already

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  7. What a great looking cake, and I LOVE the photo effects. Especially the kite one. Cool.

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  8. That cake has my name on it - but not this week!

    Love the idea of Lightshop - our photos are out of control - but it seems such a big job- sigh!

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  9. oh you know im making that cake this weekend!!
    Have been meaning to ask if youve read the latest babara kingslover and what you thought? I often struggle with non fiction

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  10. Penny, that cake looks AMAZING. I am up way, way to late tonight and I really wish I had a slice...

    Fun effects on the photos!

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