Layered Lemon Cake

Ingredients

• Lemon Curd
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon zest (3 large lemons)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 Tablespoons butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces , at room temperature

Cake

• 1 cup milk, at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 4 Tablespoons grape seed oil

Creamy Butter Frosting

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 cups toasted fine coconut
• Serves 6-8

Directions

1. Lemon Curd
2. Zest your lemons.
3. Squeeze the lemons.
4. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. You only need the yolks for this recipe.
5. In a heat proof bowl, combine the lemon zest, juice, sugar and salt and stir together.
6. Select a pan to fit the heat proof bowl and put about two inches of water in it. Bring it to the boil, then turn it down to simmer.
7. Put the heat proof bowl with ingredients already in it into the pot with the heated water.
8. Whisk in the egg yolks.
9. Let this cook for about 7-10 minutes, whisking while it is cooking. Once the mixture thickens you can remove it from the hot water pot.
10. Whisk in the butter pieces, one at a time until all the butter is in the curd. Strain the curd through a strainer to remove the zest pieces.
11. Keep the lemon curd refrigerated.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour 2 - 9 inch round cakes with butter.
3. Whisk together milk, egg whites and vanilla until combined and frothy.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
5. Mix together flour mixture, dry ingredients, butter and oil until well incorporated.
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set to cool, once cool enough to touch turn cakes out of pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Creamy Butter Frosting

1. Beat together butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. You may need to add some milk to make it more spreadable.

Assembly

1. Ice with butter frosting in between each layer, on top and on the sides. Press toasted coconut on the sides of cake. Pipe a border on top of cake with frosting. Spread lemon curd on top of cake (you may find it easier to pipe).