Tag Archives: lemon cake

From 1 Recipe Comes Multiple Cake Layers

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Many, many years ago when I first opened my bakery, the challenge was finding recipes for cake layers that worked and could be scaled up.  It seemed like all I did was test

Then I discovered, as did everyone, “The Cake Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum.  It was a game changer for anyone interested in baking and cakes.  The explanations of what was going on and why in each recipe helped us understand baking better.  At that point in time (1988)  there was not a lot of information on the science of baking which made this book all the more valuable.

I found the recipes in her book for cake layers to be the recipes I was looking for.  Although I used recipes from many sources, including those I came up with, “The Cake Bible” was always my back up. Continue reading →

Lemon Rum Bundt Cake

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Lemon Butter Bundt CakeThis Lemon Rum Bundt Cake is a version of the beloved pound cake.  Easy to put together with a soaking syrup and no buttercream.

This is one of the best pound cakes I have ever eaten. The texture is like velvet on your tongue and the butter adds a flavor no other shortening can. Two flours are used. All purpose flour provides strength to achieve and hold its height. Cake flour tenderizes the crumb.

I find it interesting that there is no leavening except the air beaten into the butter and sugar.  Heavy cream adds to the melt in your mouth texture. Continue reading →

Lemonade Cake with Blueberry Sauce

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Lemonade CakeI was once asked where creativity comes from. It can be found anywhere and everywhere. A pot of basil can inspire pesto but then what to do with it. Why turn it into a Goat Cheese Pesto Tart of course. A great dessert you taste can make you think of what you would do with it – how you would tweak it. Or, in this case when I was asked for the recipes six months out for a class, I just made up Lemonade Cake with Warm Blueberry Sauce. Doesn’t that sound inviting? The only problem there was no recipe.

I always mean to start early when I have designed something on paper but not tested it in the kitchen. I usually don’t. As the days counted down to the class, I tried every lemon mousse I could think of and made some up myself. In the end, I reverted to my go to recipe for the most lemony of all fillings – lemon curd. It was a simple matter of folding in beaten egg whites and whipped cream to give the Lemonade Cake a smooth, luxurious feel in your mouth. There is just enough gelatin in the curd to have the mousse set up perfectly. Continue reading →

Lemon Butter Sponge Cake

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Finished photo of 3 layersBy definition, a sponge cake is a light. airy tender cake of the foam variety meaning the egg whites are beaten separately and the egg yolk base is folded into the whites along with flour.  It can be varied easily and is used as a base for many fillings.  The name comes from its open structure which resembles a sponge.  The plain sponge cake on its own is rather neutral and doesn’t have a lot of flavor which is why recipes often brush the sponge cake layers with liqueur based washes..  However, by enhancing it with lemon zest and adding a little butter it becomes a more flavorful vehicle for fillings.  By omitting the zest,  you have a basic Butter Sponge Cake.  By omitting the butter, you have a basic Sponge Cake.

Another characteristic of the sponge is that it doesn’t contain shortening except in the Butter Sponge Cakes.  Sponge cakes can be dry if the egg whites are over beaten.  It is better to under beat them than get them too stiff.  When the whites are too stiff, it is difficult to fold the flour in without deflating the whites. Continue reading →