lemon

This blog started life as a recipe blog… and then I discovered I liked the wrting more than the recipe testing lol; but occasionally I still get asked to share a recipe or two….

Lemon cake with Gin and Tonic syrup and a White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

I recently made this cake for a friend’s birthday party. It is my most requested cake these days, a really fresh cake, I like to think it’s a very ‘grown up’ cake. The tartness of the lemon cuts through the richness of the cake, and the syrup keeps its beautifully moist

*This recipe will make 2-3 layers of an 8 inch tin. You can either bake it in three separate tins, which is my preference, or 1 tin and then split in 2 to stack.

Because it is a high sugar cake, it browns very easily; so watch the last 10 mins or so of cooking time and maybe cover it with sone foil to reduce the browning.

It is a labour of love

There are 4 components – cake, syrup, icing and I add lemon curd to the layers.

But it IS worth all the effort!

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease baking tins *(see above) and line with silicon paper, then grease the silicon paper. silicon paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.

Cake

3 cups (345g) sifted all-purpose flour

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temp

1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup (250ml) milk, at room temperature (to avoid curdling the batter)

1 heaping Tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time and vanilla extract on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, add 1/2 the milk, Repeat and then add lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick.

Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 20-25 minutes (25-30 mins if doing 1 cake) or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling. The baked cakes are fluffy, but they are not thick– about 1 – 1.5 inches.

Cream Cheese White Chocolate Buttercream icing

230g butter, softened to room temp

250g full-fat brick style cream cheese, softened to room temperature (avoids lumps in your icing)

600g icing sugar

Zest of 1 -2 lemons

250gm white chocolate melted and cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese in mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add cubed butter until all incorporated and beat until a pale cream colour.

Add icing sugar and beat until all incorporated

Slowly pour in white chocolate and beat until thick, lastly add the lemon zest and vanilla.

(You can add a Tablespoon of lemon juice for extra zing, but you’ll need to 1/2C more icing sugar, or the icing will be a bit sloppy.)

Syrup and lemon curd

This can either be a plain lemon syrup if you want, or it can be made into a G&T syrup – both work really well

1C water or Tonic

1C sugar

Zest of 1-2 lemons

1/4C gin – if using

Place liquid and sugar into a saucepan with the lemon zest. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and gently boil for 5 – 10 minutes until the syrup has slightly thickened. If adding Gin, leave to cool and then stir in the gin.

I use a good shop bought curd – life is too short to make everything by hand lol

Assemble and decorate:  if using 3 separate cakes, use a large, serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. If using 1 cake, slice through the middle

Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Brush with the syrup.

Fill a piping bag with some of the icing.

Spread icing over the top of the cake, then pipe a ring around the edge of the cake to keep the curd inside.

Spread some of the curd into the ‘nest’

Top with the next layer and repeat.

Chill for half an hour – it makes covering the cake much easier, because the layers don’t move around..

Once all your layers are assembled, use the leftover icing to cover the entire cake. You can make it as smooth or as rustic as possible.

Decorate however you like….

Enjoy!