Sir Ladybug’s Lemon Layer Cake
By Sir Ladybug with Mandy Olson
Ingredients
Cake
Makes two 8-inch round cakes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (not melted), cut into pieces
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Lemon curd
Makes about 2/3 cup
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Lemon cream cheese frosting
Makes enough for one 8-inch layer cake
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions for the cake:
1. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the lemon zest and sugar on medium speed until the mixture looks grainy and smells very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder, and mix well.
3. Add the softened butter to the sugar and flour mixture and beat on medium speed until the mixture is uniform in texture, 4–5 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each one fully before adding the next.
5. Add the almond extract and lemon juice. Then on low speed, gradually add the buttermilk. Once all the buttermilk has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on medium-high speed for another 20 to 30 seconds.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes. They are done when the edges are golden and start to pull away from the sides of the pan. The cake should feel set in the middle, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
7. Take the cakes out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Turn the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely before filling and frosting.
For the lemon curd:
1. In a small heavy saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs.
2. Over medium-low heat, stir in the butter and cook, whisking continuously, until the curd is thick enough to hold tracks from the whisk.
3. Pour the lemon curd into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and chill until cold.
4. The lemon curd will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.
For the frosting:
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain.
2. On low speed, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed to combine, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 30 seconds.
Assembling and frosting the cake:
1. Place one of the cakes domed side down on a cake plate.
2. With the lemon cream cheese frosting, make a ring around the edge of the cake (either using a piping bag, a zip top bag with one corner cut off, or just by carefully spooning a small mound of frosting along the edge). This “dam” will keep the lemon curd from squishing out the sides of the cake when stacked.
3. Fill the center of the frosting dam with the chilled lemon curd, distributing the filling evenly.
4. Stack the other cake domed side up on top of the filling and frosting, pressing down gently.
5. Apply a crumb coat. Use an offset spatula to spread a thin coating of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, scraping away most of the frosting as you move round the cake. Clean the spatula and discard the frosting that was scraped away. Then chill the cake for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Place a hefty dollop of frosting in the middle of the top layer. With a clean offset spatula, spread the frosting out to the edges and down the sides until the crumb coat is covered completely.
7. If not eating the cake within a couple hours, keep it in the refrigerator. Take it out about an hour before you plan to eat it. Leftover cake should also be stored, covered, in the refrigerator.