Description
Indulgent cake with flavors of strawberries and lemon, featuring a lemon sponge cake, a strawberry insert, and a lemon mascarpone chantilly cream, covered with a Swiss meringue buttercream with strawberry (for a 6 inch/15 cm cake - 8-10 servings).
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 150 g (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter - softened
- 280 g (1 1/4 cups) powdered sugar
- 3 medium eggs - at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 210 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) buttermilk
- Juice of 1/2 lemon + zest
Strawberry filling
1 portion of homemade strawberry compote
Strawberry Swiss Buttercream
1 portion of my Strawberry Swiss Buttercream
Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly
Follow the recipe for Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
Drip chocolat blanc citron
- 50 g (1.76 oz) white chocolate
- 50 g (1/4 cup) heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon curd
- Yellow food coloring
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 165°C (325°F) and line three 15 cm (6 inch) cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix and sift the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large bowl, place the softened butter with the powdered sugar and lemon zest, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again with the electric mixer for about 3 to 5 minutes until smooth.
- Mix the buttermilk with the lemon and incorporate it with the dry ingredients mixture alternately and gradually using a spatula until you have a homogeneous cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the 3 pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until they are golden on top and cooked in the center. (Insert a toothpick into the center to check for doneness; if it comes out clean, the baking is done, otherwise, extend for 5 minutes)
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for a few moments before unmolding them and letting them cool on a cooling rack.
Strawberry filling
- Prepare my homemade strawberry compote and let it cool completely.
Swiss Strawberry Buttercream:
- Follow my Strawberry Swiss Buttercream
Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
- Follow the recipe for Lemon Mascarpone Frosting.
Cake Assembly:
- Trim if necessary the dome (and crust) of the 3 sponge cakes using a cake leveler.
- Place a first cake layer on a cake board on your turntable and apply a border of strawberry buttercream using a piping bag, fill with a layer of strawberry compote, and cover with lemon mascarpone chantilly.
- Cover with the second sponge cake layer and repeat the last step until the 3rd sponge cake layer.
- Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of strawberry buttercream to seal in the crumbs, spread with an offset spatula.
- Then cover with a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth with the spatula, then with a steel icing smoother. (Use the technique of 2 acrylic plates for perfect smoothing).
- Let the cake chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or about 30 minutes in the freezer).
Lemon drip
- Melt the white chocolate, chopped, with the heavy cream over a double boiler until smooth.
- Add the lemon curd and a touch of yellow food coloring and mix to incorporate.
- Let the glaze cool for about 20 minutes or until it reaches 30°C (86°F), then pour it over the chilled cake and let it drip down the sides.
- Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining strawberry buttercream in a piping bag with a decorating tip (here 489) and decorate with lemon slices.
- Take the cake out 20 - 30 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream.
Notes
Storage: Up to 4 days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap or in a storage container, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Replace the buttermilk with the same amount of semi-skimmed milk with a little white vinegar or lemon juice, or half milk and half heavy cream or plain yogurt.
If you don't have baking soda, use a whole packet of baking powder.
Tips:
Allow the sponge cakes to cool completely before assembling the layer cake.
Securely encase the strawberry compote in the center to prevent it from leaking during assembly.
Use the technique of the 2 acrylic plates to achieve a well-cylindrical shape and a smooth glaze.
Let the cake cool in the refrigerator or freezer before pouring the lemon glaze, which should not be too hot (around 86°F/30°C).
Let the cake sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream and prevent it from being difficult to eat.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: cake, layer cake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 32.4 g
- Sodium: 173.3 mg
- Fat: 18.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 93.8 mg