Meyer Lemon Cake With Lavender Cream 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 LAVENDER LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 (9 inch) round baking pans. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In medium saucepan heat butter, milk, and lavender over low heat just until mixture is hot and butter is melted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed beat eggs and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. On low speed gradually add flour mixture and mix until blended. Slowly add hot milk mixture and beat until combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes then carefully invert cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely.
• For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. On low speed gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in honey and lemon zest just until blended.
• To assemble: Place one of the cooled cake layers top side down on a serving plate and spread about a ½ cup of frosting over it. Top with remaining cake layer top side up and frost the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the frosting. Garnish cake with long strips of lemon zest and some crumbled lavender flowers. Keep cake in the refrigerator and bring out to room temperature when ready to serve.

MEYER LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Cake: Grease bottom, sides and center tube of a 9 or 10-inch fixed bottom tube pan with at least 3 3/4-inch high sides. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper or parchment; grease the paper.
• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowel; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes.
• On low speed, beat in 1 cup oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until blended.
• Blend in flour mixture; when incorporated, mix in sour cream until no white streaks remain.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake on center oven rack until top feels firm and toothpick comes out clean. about 65 minutes.
• Let cake rest in pan for 15 minutes, then run knife around edge of cake and tube in center.
• Invert cake onto wire rack.
• Leave cake bottom side up to cool.
• Frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to beat butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, zest and vanilla until smooth.
• Beat in sugar until frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Frost cake: Cake can be covered and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Serve cold or at room temperature.