Triple lemon layer cake

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Sugar
2 larges Eggs
2 larges Egg Yolks
1 medium Lemon Peel, removed as thinly as possible with a vegetable peeler
½ cup Fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Unsalted butter or margarine
3 mediums Lemons Peel, removed as thinly as possible with a veg peeler
1½ cup Sugar
1½ cup Unsalted butter or margarine (not spread), softened
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
¾ teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
5 larges Eggs
2¼ cup All-purpose flour
½ cup Plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium Lemon Peel, removed as thinly as possible with a veg peeler
⅓ cup Sugar
16 ounces Regular cream cheese, softened (not fat-free)
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
2 cups Flaked coconut, toasted (see Tips,below)
Garnish: berries

Directions

LEMON FILLING

CAKE

LEMON FROSTING

This cake is meant to be moist and a bit dense, more like POUND CAKE than most layer cakes. You may omit the Lemon Filling and use some of the frosting between the layers instead. There's more than enough.

Lemon Filling: Whisk sugar, eggs and egg yolks in a small heavy saucepan until well blended. Stir in lemon peel and juice and butter.

Cook, stirring often, over low to medium-low heat about 10 minutes.

As the mixture thickens, stir constantly, 8 to 10 minutes longer until it thickly coats the back of a metal spoon (don't boil or mixture may curdle). Pour through a strainer set over a bowl; cover surface of filling and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Filling will thicken more as it cools. Adjust oven racks to divide oven in thirds.

Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease three 8-inch layer-cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper and grease paper. Dust pans with flour; shake out any excess. Cake: In a food processor or blender, process lemon peel and sugar several minutes until peel is finely ground.

Transfer to a large bowl, add butter, baking powder, salt and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture alternately with lemon juice, mixing well after each addition. Pour into prepared pans. Stagger pans on oven racks and bake, switching position of pans once to ensure even layers, about 40 minutes, until tops of cakes spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 20 minutes. Invert cakes on rack, remove waxed paper and let cakes cool completely. Meanwhile make frosting: In a food processor or blender, process lemon peel and sugar several minutes until peel is finely ground. Beat cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar mixture in a medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth (all this may be done in the food processor). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm but spreadable. To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half the Lemon Filling (¾ cup) on top. Top with another cake layer and remaining filling.

Top with remaining cake layer. Coat sides and top of cake with the frosting. Gently press toasted coconut into frosting on sides of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, garnish with berries.

To toast coconut: Spread flaked coconut on cookie sheet or glass pie plate. Bake in a 350 F oven 6 to 8 minutes or microwave on high, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned. Cool before using.

* Serves 10. Per serving: 916 cal, 12 g pro, 91 g car, 58 g fat, 328 mg chol, 462 mg sod.

Prep (filling): 8 min Cook: 20 min Chill: at least 4 hr Prep (cake and frosting): 30 min Bake: 40 min Chill: at least 1 hr Total Cost: $6.86

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