Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups sugar; we recommend Baker's Special Sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons Cake Enhancer, optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites + 1 whole large egg
- 2 3/4 cups unbleached Cake Flour Blend
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat plain, vanilla, or lemon yogurt, or whole milk
- Filling:
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) Quick-and-Easy Pastry Cream Mix*
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups prepared lemon curd*
- 2 cups whipping cream or heavy cream
- See "tips," below, for a substitute
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour (or line with parchment) two 8" square pans, or two 9" round pans.
2. To make the cake: Beat the butter, sugar, and oil until the mixture lightens in color and texture, 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed.
3. Beat in the baking powder, salt, cake enhancer, and vanilla extract.
4. Add the egg whites and the whole egg, beating until the mixture is fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
5. Beat in the flour in three additions, alternating with the yogurt or milk. Scrape the bowl after each addition; the mixture should be fluffy when done.
6. Scoop the batter into the prepared pans. Wrap the pans in cake strips, if you have them, to prevent doming.
7. Bake the cakes for 32 to 37 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them onto a rack to cool completely.
9. To make the filling: Stir together the pastry cream mix and the milk until blended, about 1 minute, then beat until thick, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
10. Stir the lemon curd into the prepared pastry cream until evenly blended.
11. Cover the lemon pastry cream, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until firm.
12. To assemble the cake: Gently stir the filling to loosen it, then spread 1/2 cup of filling atop each cake layer; don't stack them yet. You'll have some filling left over.
13. Add 1/2 cup cream to the remaining filling, beating until smooth. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream, beating until light and fluffy.
14. Spread a third of this lightened filling atop one layer. Place the second layer on top; spread the outside of the cake (top and sides) with the rest of the lightened filling. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
Makes 16 servings.
*For a homemade alternative to our pastry cream mix, prepare our recipe for Pastry Cream. Substitute 2/3 cup of this homemade pastry cream for the pastry cream mix and milk above.
*Substitute homemade Easy Microwave Lemon Curd for the prepared lemon curd above, if desired.
**Pastry Cream Recipe**
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or Vanilla Crush; or 1/2 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together 2 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, salt, and the vanilla bean. (If you're using vanilla extract or Vanilla Crush, add it at the end.) Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
3. Whisk some of the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks to temper them. This keeps the yolks from turning to scrambled eggs when you add them to the simmering milk.
4. Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the remaining simmering milk. Doing this through a strainer will help prevent lumps later. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture thickens.
5. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract (if you're using it). If you're going to flavor the pastry cream with chocolate or some other flavor, this is the time to do it (see variations below).
6. Rub a piece of butter over the surface of the cream, top with a piece of plastic wrap (make sure it touches the top of the pastry cream so it doesn't develop a skin), then refrigerate until cool.
7. To complete, fold the whipped cream into the cooled pastry cream.