Limoncello Creme Cake Food

LIMONCELLO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of 2 round (9 inccake pans with parchment paper.
• Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.
• Beat the whites using a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or a hand held mixer until foamy. Gradually pour in half of the sugar. Mix the whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• In the other bowl with the yolks, add the remaining sugar and use the same whisk attachment to beat the yolks until they are pale and fluffy.
• Combine the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest in a bowl or cup. Set aside.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the folded eggs and gently fold in the batter.
• When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the milk and butter mixture into the batter by the side of the bowl. Continue gently folding until evenly distributed.
• Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, prepare the limoncello syrup and the frosting.
• Make a simple sugar by heating the sugar and water in a small pot until sugar dissolves and add the limoncello. Set aside to cool.
• In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until evenly mixed, smooth and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and limoncello.
• Add the mascarpone cheese. You can just fold in the mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula, since it's soft enough or mix with the mixer just until combined, about 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until fluffy and stiff peaks form. You can do this by hand using a whisk or use a hand held mixer or a standing mixer.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream into the frosting until evenly mixed.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally.
• Using a serrated knife, make a small cut all around the outside of the cake. This will keep your knife on the same level as you are cutting across. Continue cutting deeper into the cake until you have cut all the way through.
• Another trick I use when decorating cakes is to line the serving plate all around the edge with aluminum foil so that the edge of the cake is overlapping the aluminum foil by about 1/2 inch. This will catch all the drips and crumbs, leaving your serving plate neat and clean. When you're done decorating just carefully pull the aluminum foil out.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the top and bottom of each layer with the limoncello syrup.
• Put a dollop of frosting in the center of the cake plate, which will help to hold the cake in place. Place the first cake layer in the center of the cake plate and generously spread the cake layer with frosting, all the way to the edges.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted cake layer. Spread the lemon curd evenly over the surface of the cake, all the way to the edges. You can use more or less lemon curd, depending on how sweet and "lemony" you want the cake to be.
• Place the third cake layer on top of the lemon curd layer and generously spread the cake layer with frosting, all the way to the edges.
• Top with the last layer and this time frost the sides and the top of the cake. Carefully pull out the aluminum foil from underneath the edges of the cake and discard.
• You will have enough frosting left over to pipe a border all the way around the cake too. I piped a border all the way around the edges of the cake and added a few swirls in the center too. I used my favorite Wilton 1M piping tip.
• I also grated white chocolate on top of the cake as well as lemon zest and a thin lemon slice in the center of the cake.
• The cake should be chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours before serving, or overnight. The cake can be made 2 days in advance, completely assembled and stored in the refrigerator, covered.
• Before serving, let the cake stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, for the best taste and texture.

LIMONCELLO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Add lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, eggs, oil, lemon juice, Limoncello, rind and pecans to large bowl.
• Mix for at least 3 minutes.
• Pour into buttered and floured bundt pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Make glaze: Melt butter and add sugar.
• Bring to full boil until sugar is melted.
• Remove from heat and add Limoncello.
• Poke holes all over cake using a skewer or fork.
• Pour glaze over hot cake slowly.
• Cool in pan.

REFRESHING LIMONCELLO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the yogurt, eggs, canola oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and 4 tablespoons limoncello in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not over mix or the cake will be tough. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Stir the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of limoncello together in a small bowl until smooth. Poke small holes all over the top of the still-warm cake with a fork or toothpick. Spoon the glaze over the cake and spread with the back of a spoon. The glaze will seep into the cake and add moisture.

LIMONCELLO CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
• Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the limoncello, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (the cake will become firm when it is cold).
• Transfer the cake to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into squares and serve.
• *Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your own limoncello liqueur.
• Limoncello:
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
• Makes: 7 cups
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours

QUICK AND EASY SUMMER LIMONCELLO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.
• Whisk sour cream, white sugar, canola oil, eggs, 3 tablespoons limoncello, and lemon zest together in a large bowl.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl. Add flour mixture to sour cream mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until batter is just combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan for 5 minutes.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons limoncello liqueur together in a bowl until glaze is thin and smooth. Spread glaze over the top of the cake. Cool cake completely before slicing.

ITALIAN TRIPLE LEMON CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil and butter on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon zest and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Transfer to three greased and floured 8-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream and cheese until soft peaks form. Stir in the marshmallow creme, lemon curd, limoncello and lemon zest until combined., In a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat., Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush with 2 tablespoons glaze and spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer; brush with remaining glaze. Garnish with lemon zest and mint leaves. Store in the refrigerator.

LIMONCELLO CREME CAKE

Steps:

• 1. LEMON CURD: (Make Ahead) Roll room temperature lemons to loosen the juice inside. Then zest 7-8 lemons using a fine grater. Cut lemons and use a strainer to strain seeds from juice as you squeeze into a bowl.
• 2. Separate the 8 egg yolks and reserve 3 whites for the cake.
• 3. In the top of a double boiler, mix egg yolks, sugar, the 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the lemon zest from all of the lemons.
• 4. Bring the double boiler to simmer and keep it there. Simmer and whisk constantly. Both the temperature and the whisking are necessary to prevent curdling. Simmer and whisk 10 minutes in this fashion until it becomes a thick pudding-like consistency.
• 5. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon extract. Add butter.
• 6. Whisk until it dissolves completely.
• 7. For a smooth lemon curd, strain the curd to remove the zest. You can leave it, though. I leave it in because I like the slight chewiness one gets from the zest.
• 8. Once the curd is strained, it's nice and smooth like pudding.
• 9. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Place bowl in the refrigerator to cool completely. This will be used to make the mascarpone mousse. (My curd makes around 2 cups, and whatever the recipe makes, I use it ALL in the mousse.)
• 10. CAKE: (Can bake the cake a day ahead.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Spray cooking spray onto the pan. Place parchment paper in the bottom, and then spray paper too. Dust slightly with some dry cake mix.
• 11. Mix pudding mix and cake mix. Then add 3 egg whites, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1 1/3 cup of water until the cake mix is moist. Mix 2 minutes (according to package directions).
• 12. Pour into springform pan. Place this into a larger roasting pan in case of leaking.
• 13. Place into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• 14. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before removing springform sides.
• 15. After removing springform sides, place the cake in the freezer for cooling. If baking the night before, I place it into the refrigerator and then place it into the freezer for about 2 hours the morning before I assemble the cake.
• 16. LEMON MASCARPONE MOUSSE: (Should also be made several hours before assembling to help the mousse set up before assembling.) Whip mascarpone until smooth. Continue to beat while adding sugar and lemon extract.
• 17. Check to see that sugar is dissolved. Then continue to beat while adding lemon curd. (If you stop beating while adding these ingredients, the acid of the lemon could curdle the mascarpone.)
• 18. Add limoncello while beating. When it's smooth, chill in the refrigerator. (I do not remove all of the zest caught in the beaters or wire whip. There will still be some in the mousse.)
• 19. LIMONCELLO SOAKING LIQUID: Combine water, sugar, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring the heat up to medium-high and bring the syrup to a boil.
• 20. Remove the pan from heat and let sit for 2 minutes. Strain the liquid to remove lemon zest.
• 21. Stir in the limoncello and the lemon extract. Keep the syrup covered until ready to assemble the cake.
• 22. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Remove cooled cake from the freezer. Using a bread knife, carefully split layer into two layers, cutting all of the way through. Remove top layer, carefully, to wax paper with the cut side up. Carefully, loosen the bottom of the springform pan from the bottom layer by sliding knife or spatula between parchment paper and pan bottom. Then slide cake onto a cake plate with the cut side up.
• 23. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, put limoncello soaking liquid on each layer. (This is why I use the springform pan and cut the layers instead of using two or three round cake pans. The cut layers really allow the liquid to absorb into the cake.)
• 24. Using half of the mascarpone mousse on the layer of cake on the cake plate, smooth it out, and then place it into the freezer until well set. If you rush this, the mousse will squeeze out when the other layer is placed upon it. Return other layers to the freezer also.
• 25. Carefully, place the top layer onto the frosted bottom layer.
• 26. Spread mousse along the top of the cake. You can frost the sides of the cake if you want, but I do not always do that.
• 27. Grate white chocolate on top of the mascarpone mousse. Chill cake for several hours. It takes a while for the mousse to firm up and it's even better the day after it's assembled.
• 28. GARNISHES: When slicing, you may garnish with fresh mint and a lemon slice. Or, it looks really great garnished with a raspberry and some raspberry sauce.
• 29. NOTE: This can be made alcohol free by omitting the limoncello in the mousse, by increasing the sugar in the soaking liquid, and using lemon juice instead of limoncello.

LIMONCELLO CREAM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a large bowl combine cake mix, lemonade concentrate, sour cream, cream cheese and egg whites. Beat with mixer until blended. Stir in zest.
• Spoon batter into paper lined muffin pan or muffin pans sprayed well with Pam Baking spray.
• I actually used those new foil liners - no pan necessary.
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until tester comes out of the center of a cupcake clean. Immediately do next step.
• While cupcakes are baking scrape all the frosting out of the can with a spatula into a medium bowl. Add two tablespoons Limoncello and stir till creamy. Taste. Do you need more? Go ahead then -- add more!
• Refrigerate while you wait.
• Cool cupcakes completely and then frost and sprinkle with zest.

LIMONCELLO TORTA

Steps:

• For the candied lemon peel: Cut the lemons into wheels about 1/4-inch-thick and remove the peel from the fruit, keeping the peels intact. Cut the peels in half into long strips. Bring 4 cups cold water and the lemon peels to a boil in a small saucepot. As soon as the peels come to a boil, drain the water from the peels. Repeat this process three times with fresh cold water to remove the bitterness from the peels. Drain the peels and set them aside.
• Combine the granulated sugar with 2 cups water in a small saucepot to make a simple syrup. Bring the syrup to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the lemon peels. Simmer the peels until the white pith is translucent, about 40 minutes. Cool the peels in the syrup and then drain, saving the syrup for another purpose (lemon simple syrup is great in a lemon drop martini). Lay the peels on a mesh cooling rack to dry, about 2 hours. Store them packed in granulated sugar in an airtight container at room temperature.
• For the lemon curd: Remove the zest from the lemons (without the bitter white pith) with a carrot peeler. Pulse the zest with the granulated sugar in a food processor until the zest has been finely minced into the sugar. Cream the butter with the sugar and zest at medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Crack the eggs into a small bowl to ensure there are no shells, then add the eggs one at a time to the mixer until combined. Add the lemon juice and salt and blend until combined. Place the mixture into a medium saucepot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd is ready when it reaches 170 degrees F. Transfer the lemon curd to a metal bowl and cool the bowl in an ice water bath, then cover with plastic wrap pressed against its surface and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the limoncello dip: Bring the limoncello and 2 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepot set over medium heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for 4 minutes to cook off the alcohol in the limoncello. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool.
• For the ricotta filling: Add the ricotta, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and limoncello to a bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
• For the whipped cream topping: Whip the cream and granulated sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks are formed, then hold for the assembly of the torta. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Dip the ladyfingers halfway into the limoncello dip and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with the soaked ladyfingers. Once the bottom is covered, spread the ricotta mixture over the top evenly with an offset spatula. Place a second row of dipped ladyfingers on top of the ricotta mixture. Spread the lemon curd on top of the ladyfingers with the spatula. Place the third and final layer of dipped ladyfingers on top of the lemon curd. Spread the whipped cream topping over the ladyfingers. Refrigerate overnight. Serve well chilled, garnishing slices with candied lemon peel.