Meyer Lemon Cake

 

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I am going to mention it again. One of my 2020 goals I set for myself (and really my only), was to create more recipes from scratch. Something that is slightly intimidating, but really exciting at the same time. I have never really done a whole lot of recipe creating for various reasons. I never really thought of it before, and I didn’t really know where to start when it came to creating my own recipes. Plus, I really hate wasting ingredients, which is possible with any recipe failures.

Every since I set this goal for myself, the creative juices have been flowing like crazy. It’s like, ever since I opened the door, the floodgates have starting pouring through. Every day or few days, I think of a new recipe combination I should try out, whether it be a baked good or something for dinner. I also really want to experiment more with vegan and refined sugar free desserts. There are so many people now that either opt for a restricted diet, or have to for health reasons. I am pretty pumped. Maybe eventually this will open the door for gluten free baking. But we’ll see..

With all that being said, there will still be recipes I’ve made and adapted from other talented cooks, just because sometimes it’s just worth it! So hopefully, there will be a better mixture of recipes I’ve created and recipes I’ve adapted from others.

First up is this Meyer lemon curd cake. Before I start describing said cake, I want to take a hot second to talk about who the heck made up the word curd? It is such an awful word to be used alongside any dessert. Or anything for that matter. Yep, it’s distasteful. I think a new word is necessary. Like lemon deliciousness. Or, lemon creaminess. Or lemon addiction. I’ve decided that is one of the new names. So, naturally, that is what it will be called by everyone in the entire world. Ha! Now that I have that out of my system, let’s talk about the cake!

I decided to make this cake a white cake, which means it’s only made with egg whites. (Don’t worry, you’ll use some of the egg yolks in the curd!) I wanted it be fairly simple, and I also made a less than usual sweetened cake. I really wanted the Meyer lemon curd to be the star of the show both in the cake, and in the frosting.

The cake batter is made up of tangy buttermilk, butter, Meyer lemon zest, egg whites, sugar, and your typical dry ingredients. I chose cake flour over all-purpose flour because AP flour has a higher protein content and can create a denser cake. After mixing said ingredients together, I then dotted the batter with lemon curd and swirled it in with a knife. I didn’t want the lemon curd throughout the entire cake. I more so wanted an occasional bite to a have surprise burst of curd.

After the cake is baked to perfection, it is then slathered with a cream cheese, lemon curd, droopy frosting. I went with a less thick frosting because I wanted it to droop over the sides instead of standing tall on the cake. It makes for a perfect rustic looking cake that you can barely resist running your finger through to lick. It’s pretty darn fabulous. The cake is made in a 9×9-inch pan, but you can certainly double it and make in a 9×13-inch pan if you need to feed a crowd. This also can be made with regular lemons if Meyer lemons are not available. It will still be just as fabulous.

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Meyer Lemon Cake

Yield: 16 pieces

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This wonderfully moist white sheet cake has swirls of homemade Meyer lemon curd throughout. Topped with a creamy, thick cream cheese, Meyer lemon frosting, this is a great, simple cake to make for any occasion.

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Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 large egg whites
• zest from 2 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 11/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 1/3 cup Meyer lemon curd**

For the frosting

• 3 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup Meyer lemon curd
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a square 9x9-inch cake pan. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy on medium-high speed, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the egg whites, lemon zest and vanilla extract, just until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture just until combined. Pour in half of the buttermilk and mix. Mix in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining 1/3 flour until combined and no flour streaks remain.
4. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Dollop the lemon curd over the batter, then gently swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
5. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few clinging crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack and allowing to cool completely.
6. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until combined, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Mix in the lemon curd, then mix in the confectioners' sugar on low speed. Increase speed to high and beat frosting until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip over the sides. Serve!

Notes

*If you don't have buttermilk, simply add 1 tablespoon to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly curdled looking. Use as directed.

**Make the lemon curd recipe as directed in linked recipe, just use Meyer lemons instead of regular. This recipe will make more than you need, but you can use leftovers in vanilla ice cream, smeared on muffins or toast. Or stirred into yogurt for a lovely treat.

The cake will last well covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

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