Lemon Curd For Almond Cake Food

BLUEBERRY-ALMOND CAKE WITH LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Beat the butter in a separate large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated, then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk; beat until just smooth, 2 minutes.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and sprinkle each with 1 cup blueberries. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans on a rack, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; set aside. Beat the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in the lemon curd, leaving some yellow streaks. Spread the cream mixture over 1 layer of cake almost to the edge. Place the second cake layer on top and gently press; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Before serving, whisk the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice in a medium bowl until it forms a smooth glaze. (Add 1 or 2 drops of water if it's too thick.) Pour the glaze over the center of the cake and spread with a spatula or spoon to the edge, allowing some to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

LEMON-ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl, and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with 1 tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess.
• With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Add eggs and ground almonds to batter, and mix well.
• Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons lemon curd around perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border, and taking care to space drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use. Sprinkle cake with toasted almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on taste.
• Bake until cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick inserted into cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.
• Whip cream with almond liqueur. Present cake at table, and offer whipped cream on the side.

LEMON-ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the lemon zest and juice in a nonreactive saucepan with the sugar and eggs and beat well. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens into curd. Be sure to keep scraping the bottom of the pan during the few minutes this takes you; you don't want the eggs to scramble before the curd forms. If you're the nervous type, make the curd in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water). The curd will take just a little longer to thicken, about 5 minutes. Strain the crud into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and dust it with 1 tablespoon of the flour.
• Cream the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large bowl with 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the remaining 1 cup flour, the baking powder, and salt together and stir into the creamed butter.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat, or the cake will be tough. Add the eggs and ground almonds to the flour and butter mixture, mixing well.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons of lemon curd evenly around the outside of the cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Try to place the curd so there's an even amount of cake batter between each dollop of curd. Drop 3 tablespoons curd in the center. Refrigerate any remaining curd for another use (hint: breakfast toast). Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, according to taste.
• Bake until the cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick or knife inserted into the cake comes out clean (be sure not to insert it near the curd), about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and let cool completely on a rack.
• If serving the cake with whipped cream, add the almond liqueur to the heavy cream and beat until the cream is stiff. Sift a thin, even layer of confectioners' sugar over the top of the cake. Present the cake at the table and offer the almond whipped cream on the side.

LEMON CURD FOR ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a simmer. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine creme fraiche, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Place over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Remove lemon curd from heat, and stir in softened gelatin. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Set mixture in ice bath to cool to 100 degrees.
• Add butter, and using a handheld immersion blender, mix for 5 minutes.

ALMOND CAKE LAYERED WITH LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch cake pans; line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat almond paste and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add sugar, and beat to combine. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and beat to combine. On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Spread the batter evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, remove parchment, and return to the rack to cool, top sides up.
• To assemble the cake, place the first layer in the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Spread half the lemon curd on top, and cover with the remaining cake layer. Spread the remaining curd on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
• When cake is set, remove sides from springform pan. Press streusel onto sides of cake. Serve.

STRAWBERRY LEMON CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• For the lemon curd: Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, salt and eggs in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the mixture over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk frequently, until the curd coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter a pat at a time. Remove from heat, stir in the almond extract and white chocolate until melted. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic and transfer to the fridge to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the crepes: Combine the buttermilk, water, eggs, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, almond extract, melted butter, granulated sugar and salt in a blender and blitz to combine. Add the flour and blitz again until smooth. Set the crepe batter in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to rest.
• Once the batter has rested, heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan and quickly swirl the batter around so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Allow the crepe to cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on the first side, flip and cook for another 15 to 30 seconds, or until lightly golden. Transfer the crepe to a baking pan and continue with the remaining batter, adding a small amount of butter to the pan between crepes if they're sticking. Allow the crepes to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add in remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and gradually beat in the cream. Whip on high until stiff.
• To assemble, lay one of the crepes onto a serving plate and add a heaping 1/4 cup of cream mixture onto the crepe and spread evenly. Top with another crepe and spread with 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon curd. Continue layering, alternating fillings, until all of the crepes are used. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and transfer the cake, as well as any remaining cream and curd, to the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to two days to set up.
• When ready to serve, peel away the plastic and dollop, spread or pipe the remaining cream and/or curd overtop and decorate with halved strawberries and toasted almonds.

LEMON CURD & ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 1-litre loaf tin and line with baking parchment.
• Put the butter, sugar, eggs, yogurt, self-raising flour, ground almonds, orange zest, milk and 5 tbsp lemon curd in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Put another 5 tbsp lemon curd in a second bowl and whisk to loosen.
• Spoon half the batter into the prepared tin, dollop over the lemon curd and top with the remaining batter. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 50 mins, or until risen and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack, scatter over some lemon zest and slice.