Lemon Icing Food

LUSCIOUS LEMON FROSTING

Steps:

• Add lemon rind to butter; cream well.
• Add part of sugar gradually, blending after each addition.
• Combine lemon juice and water; add to creamed mixture, alternately with remaining sugar, until of right consistency to spread.
• Beat after each addition until smooth.
• Add salt.
• Makes enough frosting to cover tops and sides of two 9-inch layers, or to cover the top and sides of golden sponge loaf.

LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Combine the butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add more confectioner's sugar, or lemon juice to adjust the consistency as needed.

ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Combine the egg whites and powdered sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until opaque and shiny, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue whipping until completely incorporated, about 3 minutes. The lemon juice whitens the royal icing. The royal icing should be light, fluffy, and slightly stiff. You may need to adjust the consistency by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet.
• Make a cornet and fill it half full with royal icing. Cover the remaining icing with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out while you work. It will be much easier to decorate the cake if you place it on a turntable. Use the royal icing to make decorations as you desire. Make as many cornets as needed to complete the design. You can use a cornet filled with royal icing to fill in the seams and edges where the cakes meet. Decorate with dots, swags, or any other design. The royal icing will harden as it dries.
• Piping fine decorations with royal icing takes some practice but you will improve with time. To train your hands and practice piping, try this exercise: use a medium-point magic marker to draw the desired pattern on a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat the pattern several times to allow for practice. Place another sheet of parchment paper over the designs and tape both pieces to the work surface to keep them from moving. Use a cornet filled with royal icing to trace the pattern. When you feel you have had enough practice, place the cake in front of you and repeat the patterns on the cake, instead of on the parchment paper.
• For different widths of decoration, use several cornets and cut the ends into different-sized openings. With royal icing, if you make a mistake, you can just wipe it off! The royal icing will harden as it dries.
• Flowers are widely used to decorate cakes. Usually, when the flowers are not fresh, they are made from gum paste. You can make your own or buy them already made from a specialty baking supply store. I would suggest buying them since they are very reasonably priced compared to the time and energy it takes to make them. Gum paste flowers can be reused or stored in an airtight container for any celebration. Remember to handle them with care because they will chip or break.
• If you have your own garden, pick some lovely blooms and use them to decorate the cake. Don't forget to use the natural greens to decorate around the base of the cake. Be sure you know which varieties of flowers and greens are safe to use; there are some that are poisonous. Flowers that are safe to use include: apple blossoms, citrus blossoms, day lilies, English daisies, pansies, roses, tulips, lilacs, and violets.

LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH LEMON CREAM FILLING AND FROSTING

Steps:

• For the lemon cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, then insert a round of parchment cut to fit just inside the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment, then flour the pans, tapping out any excess flour.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric, standing or hand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until very fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla followed by the lemon zest and juice--the mixture may appear to break apart a bit or curdle, but it will come back together when the flour is added, so don't panic! Add about a third of the flour mixture and mix until just barely incorporated, then add half of the milk and blend. Repeat with one-third of the flour mixture, the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour mixture and blend until the ingredients are just completely incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl in the middle of this process. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly and smoothing the tops. Bake until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the insides of the pans to make sure the sides don't stick, place a wire rack over the top of each pan and invert the cake onto the wire rack. Peel off the parchment and cool completely.
• For the lemon filling: While the cakes are baking, make the lemon curd. Whisk the granulated sugar, lemon juice, butter, egg yolks and salt in a small nonreactive saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Place the lemon curd in a small bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap on top of the surface and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours and up to a week.
• Briskly stir the lemon zest into the chilled curd to blend well. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream just until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the lemon curd with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour but not more than 6 hours.
• For the lemon frosting: In a large bowl with an electric, standing or hand mixer, beat the confectioners' sugar with the butter on low speed until combined, then turn the beater speed to high and add the cream and lemon zest and juice. Beat until fluffy.
• To assemble the cake, place each cake layer upside down on a round of cardboard or a flat plate. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, frost the top and sides of each cake layer with a very thin layer of the lemon frosting. Place the cake layers in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the thin layer of frosting.
• Place the bottom layer of cake on the platter that you will be serving it on and tuck thick strips of wax or parchment paper under the edges of the cake to keep the platter clean. Spread the lemon filling over the bottom layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around so the filling has a bit of room to spread when you place the second layer on top. Cover the filling with the raspberries, then place the second layer of cake on top.
• Frost the cake with the rest of the frosting. The cake will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, though it's best within a day of making. Bring to room temperature before serving.

LEMON CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• Also delicious over pound cake. Blend sugar, cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla in processor, using on/off turns. Blend in enough cream to form thick but pourable icing.

STICKY STEM GINGER CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Butter and line an 18cm round, 7cm deep cake tin with greaseproof or parchment paper.
• Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and all the spices into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Put the sugar, treacle, syrup and milk in a medium saucepan and heat, gently stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to just below boiling point.
• Add the stem ginger to the flour mixture, then pour in the treacle mixture, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon. Break in the egg and beat until all the mixture is combined and it resembles a thick pancake batter. Pour this into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out fairly clean. Leave to cool completely in tin before turning cake out. (To freeze: wrap in greaseproof paper, then in cling film. Freeze for up to 1 month.)
• To make the icing, mix together icing sugar and lemon zest, then gradually add lemon juice until you have a smooth, slightly runny icing, adding more juice, if needed. Drizzle icing in a zig-zag pattern over surface of cake, turn cake around and drizzle again to create the cross-hatched finish (see below). Cake keeps for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl, and let stand 30 minutes to reach room temperature.
• Sift 1/2 cup sugar with the 1 cup flour twice; set aside.
• Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Add cream of tartar, both extracts and salt to egg whites. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on High speed, until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 6 more minutes. Fold in the sugar-flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time.
• Carefully spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a butter knife and slice through the batter in several spots, to remove air pockets.
• Bake on lower rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the entire top appears dry. Remove pan from oven, immediately invert to retain volume and to keep cake from sinking into itself. Allow cake to cool in pan for about 1 hour.
• Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and around the center tube of pan. Transfer cake from pan to a serving platter.
• LEMON GLAZE: Stir together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze in a random pattern over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.

LEMON DRIZZLE SLICES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Line a 20 x 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment.
• Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix again. Add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, lemon curd and milk, and mix with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Mix the sugar and lemon juice together and pour over the hot cake. Leave to cool in the tin. You can eat the cake as it is, or for a fancy finish, try making this feather icing.
• Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to give a runny, but not watery, icing. Put a small amount of icing in a separate bowl. Add a few drops of the food colouring to the icing until pale yellow. Spoon into a disposable icing bag.
• Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the baking parchment. Sit the cake on a wire rack over a baking tray. Spread the white icing over the top. Pipe thin lines of the coloured icing across the width of the cake. Use a cocktail stick to drag through the lines in opposite directions to create a feathered effect. Leave to set before cutting into slices.

LEMON GLAZE FOR GLAZED LEMON POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice (glaze should be thick, yet pourable). Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve desired consistency.

LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Mix sugar and lemon together for 1 minute or until smooth. Then ice cookies, cake, etc.

CARROT CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Sift flour, carb soda, mixed spice, ginger and salt into a bowl. Add sugar, carrot and nuts. Make a well add eggs, oil and vanilla.
• Beat well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.
• Pour into a well greased ring tin/cake tin. Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 45-50 minutes.
• Cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a cake cooler. Set aside.
• When cold, ice the top of the cake with lemon icing, sprinkle with slivers of lemon peel. This cake will keep fresh and moist for about 1 week.
• TO MAKE THE LEMON ICING:.
• Beat the icing sugar, lemon juice and softened butter well together. Add vanilla essence and if necessary adjust consistency with extra icing sugar or lemon juice.
• Spread thickly onto cooled cake and top with lemon peel.

LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Place sugar in small bowl. Mix in lemon juice as needed to make icing just thin enough to drip off fork.

LEMON FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating and scraping sides of bowl after each addition, about 5 minutes total. Add lemon juice and zest, and beat until frosting is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)