Meyer Lemon Cake Barefoot Contessa Food

MEYER LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine the milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Alternately combine the dry ingredients and the milk mixture with the butter mixture. Beat well until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans. Bake the cake for about 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool before unmolding.
• For the Lemon Curd: Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar. Add the lemon juice. Place the mixture in a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter. Strain the curd. Stir in the lemon zest. Place the curd in a bowl and cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold.
• For the Easy Buttercream Frosting: Combine powdered sugar with the other ingredients and beat until smooth.
• Assembly: Cut each cake in half, giving you 4 layers. Layer 1 cake piece with 1/3 of the lemon curd. Gently spread about 1/3 cup of the frosting over the curd. Repeat with 2 more layers of cake, curd and frosting. Place the forth cake piece on top and frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting.

LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

MEYER LEMON-CRANBERRY BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°. Butter and flour a 10-cup flute Bundt pan.
• Cook the cranberries with 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a pot over medium-high heat until juicy and the mixture reduces to 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Whisk the milk, whole eggs and yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Whisk the 3 cups flour, the remaining 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, the lemon zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the 3 1/4 sticks butter and beat with a mixer on low speed until moistened. Add half of the milk mixture, increase the speed to medium and beat 1 minute. Add the remaining milk mixture in two batches, beating between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer 2/3 of the batter to the pan. Spoon the cranberry mixture in a ring around the middle of the batter (do not let it touch the pan). Top with the remaining cake batter and smooth evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup: Dissolve the 1/4 cup granulate sugar in 1/2 cup lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat. Remove the cake from the oven, poke the serface all over with a skewer and pour the syrup on top. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a parchment-lined rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit overnight.
• When ready to serve, whisk the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice unil smooth. Spoon over the cake.

MEYER LEMON POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-by-5-by-3-inch (or larger) loaf pans and set aside.
• Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder two times and set aside.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Stir only until thoroughly blended. Gently fold in the zest.
• Pour batter into the prepared pans, making sure to divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Level tops with an offset spatula. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan about 10 minutes; then remove to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
• Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients to combine. If necessary, add additional confectioners' sugar to desired consistency.
• Pour glaze on top of cakes and serve.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S LEMON YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
• Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set the lemon syrup aside.
• When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar syrup over the cake and allow it to soak inches Cool.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

MEYER LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.
• Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
• In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.