Weekend Wrap: Lemon-Filled Cake

It's Labor Day Weekend! Woo-hoo! Oh wait....those are suppose to be saved for Wednesdays. Ok-- Ya-HOO!! Are you out by the pool, reading my blog on your android tablet or iPhone, while catching some rays? I'm sure you are. Well, if you're still getting ready to plan a dessert for the weekend, I've got the perfect one! Paula Deen's Lemon-Filled Cake




Now, I have searched and searched the internet to find this Paula Deen recipe that I got out of a magazine so I could just put a quick little link for you to view the recipe, but unfortunately I have had no luck! So the fact that I am going to type out this entire recipe verses getting back to my Labor Day festivities, means a lot. I LOVE YOU GUYS! All 14 of you! hah! Hopefully I have a few more readers :)

In respect to Paula Deen - HERE YA'LL GO!

Lemon-Filled Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk
Lemon Filling (recipe follows, make 2 hours in advance)
Lemon Buttercream (recipe follows)
Garnish: lemon slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with non-stick cooking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice.

In a medium bowl, combine cake flour and baking soda; sift. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Lemon Filling evenly in between layers. Spread Lemon Buttercream on top and sides of cake. Garnish with lemon slices.

LEMON FILLING:
Makes about 1 cup

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter . Pour mixture into a small bowl; cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

LEMON BUTTERCREAM
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter and lemon zest at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in lemon juice. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.



Quick note from my experience baking this cake. My husband and I cannot and should not be consuming a 3 layer cake, so although I do make all three layers as the recipe directs, I only make my cake 2 layers high. Which works out great because for some reason one of my three cakes always tends to stick to the pan and become all funky! 

So although I have not done this part, and I'm only just now thinking of it, the next time I bake this cake and have one layer left over I think I'm going to turn them into cake balls with the extra lemon frosting, then dip them in white chocolate. Oh man -- I'm craving it already.... 

Happy Labor Day Weekend!