ETA: If you have a precocious cook in your home, get them to make this, because you will never have time to do it yourself--quite a time-consuming cake, that's for sure! :S Thank goodness Meg was in charge! :)
It was delicious, so delicious that my Dad (who usually turns down dessert) had TWO servings!
Here's a picture:
Lemon Layer Cake: Serves 10-12
Lemon curd filling
1 cup fresh lemon juice, about 6 lemons (no bottled, please)
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin, plain
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
6 large egg yolks, from large eggs (reserve egg whites for cake)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and frozen
Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, but still cool
Fluffy white icing
2 large egg whites, from large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (again, no bottled)
1 tablespoon corn syrup
For the Filling: Measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over the top.
Heat remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in medium non-reactive sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot, but not boiling.
Whisk eggs and yolks in a large non-reactive bowl.
Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 170° and is thick enought to leave a trail when a spatula is scraped along the bottom of the pan, about 4-6 minutes.
Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated.
Pour filling through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl.
Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, about 4 hours.
For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg milk, egg whites and vanilla.
In a mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix at slow speed.
Add butter one piece at a time, continue to beat until mixture resembles moist crumbs and no visible butter chunks.
Add all but 1 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes.
With mixer running, add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture, beat 1 mintute more.
Divide batter evenly between cake pans.
Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick in center of cakes comes out clean.
Loosen cakes from side of pan with a small knife, cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from pan onto greased wire rack, remove parchment paper, invert again and cool completely.
For the Icing: Combine all ingredients in a mixer bowl or heatproof bowl.
Set over medium saucepan filled with 1-inch of simmering water.
Cook stirring constantly until mixture reaches 160°, 5-10 minutes.
Transfer mixture to mixer bowl (if needed) and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until mixture has cooled to room temperature and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes longer.
Assembly: Cut each layer in half horizontally. Spread 1 cup of lemon filling evenly on each cake, (except the top layer) leaving 1/2-inch border around cake. Place top layer on cakes, smooth out any filling that may have leaked from the layers. Refrigerate while you make the icing. Spread icing on cake.
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