Lemon Layer Cake

I think I like trying out new desserts while I experiment with this new lifestyle/diet. If you love lemon, this cake is for you!

Filling

• 3/4 c lemon juice
• 3/4 t unflavored gelatin
• 1 c sugar
• 3 eggs + 4 egg yolks
• 6 T cold butter
• 1/8 t salt

Cake

• 1 c milk
• 8 T melted butter
• 5 egg whites (save the yolks!)
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 c flour with xantham gum included
• 1 c sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t salt

Icing

• 2 egg whites
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/4 c water
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T corn syrup

To make the filling

1. Measure 1 T lemon juice into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan heat the rest of the lemon juice, the sugar, and salt until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot but not yet boiling.
3. In a separate bowl whisk eggs and yolk together. Then slowly add the lemon and sugar mixture in.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat, stirring continuously until thickened and temperature reaches 170 degrees, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. 
6. Once the gelatin is dissolved, stir in the cold butter.
7. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, should yield about 2 cups.
8. Cover with plastic wrap (press plastic directly onto mixture) and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease two 9 inch round cake pan and set aside.
3. Whisk milk, butter, egg whites, and vanilla in a bowl.
4. In a stand mixer with paddle mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add all but 1/2 c milk mixture.
6. Beat the mixture until pale and fluffy, scrape sides of bowl as needed.
7. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and mix well.
8. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
9. Bake until cakes are light golden, 30-35 minutes.
10. Remove from pans and let cakes cool completely on a wire rack.
11. When cooled, cut each cake into 2 thin, even halves using a long serrated knife.
12. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand and spread 2/3 c filling leaving 1/2 inch border around the edges.
13. Repeat layering cake and filling.

Icing:

1. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.
2. Set bowl over saucepan with 1 in of barely simmering water, don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.
3. Whisk constantly until temperature reaches 160, about 5-10 minutes,
4. Remove bowl from heat and using stand mixer with whisk, whip on medium until soft peaks from, about 5 minutes.
5. Increase speed and continue to whip until glossy stiff peaks form and the mixture has completely cooled.
6. Frost the cake using the back of a spoon to create billowy swirls.

1 year!

When you're moving across the country the items you take are limited.
Food was one thing we were not going to mess with rotting in a car for 4 days.
That being said, we still had the top tier of our wedding cake in the freezer!
So we celebrated our "1 year!" tradition a little early (7 months too early) and had some cake.

this face says it all...even after just 4 1/2 months it was not good!

We had fun reminiscing about our wedding anyway. And we tried some bites regardless. I do wonder where this tradition originated from? I don't thing many people do it these days.