Lemon Cake
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sweet, Dessert
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cake Layers:
*This cake should be high enough to be cut into layers. I’ve used a 15 cm/6 inch diameter pan with high edges.
  • 3 eggs
  • 200ml of milk
  • 300g cake flour
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 5 tbsp organic sunflower oil
  • 150g potato starch
  • 15g [2 + ½ tsp] baking powder
  • 1 vanilla bean
For the filling:
  • 400ml milk
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 80g rice starch
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
For the Icing:
  • 100g fresh spreading cheese
  • 100g fresh cream
  • 30g [2 tbsp]of butter
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 1 natural lemon extract
For decorating with Candied Lemon Peel:
  • 2 big lemons
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100ml water
Instructions
Cake:
  1. Start by pouring all the milk (200ml + 400ml) in a little pot. Make a long cut on the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Add them to the milk together with the opened vanilla pod. Bring the milk almost to the boil in a medium heat. Remove from the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod, filter the milk and leave to cool.
  2. Grate the lemon rind, squeeze the juice and remove the lemon seeds.
  3. In a big bowl whip the 3 eggs with 200g of sugar and 5 tablespoons of sunflower oil till well mixed and smooth.
  4. Add the lemon juice and 200ml of milk previously flavoured.
  5. Sift in the 300g of flour, 150g of potato starch and the baking powder. Stir well till dense and remove any lumps. Add the lemon rind.
  6. Grease a baking dish and pour into it the mixture. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C° / 350 F° for 40 minutes.
Filling:
  1. In a big bowl beat the white of 3 eggs together with 100g of sugar till they are snow-white and frothy. Add the lemon rind.
  2. Add the sifted rice starch and mix well to avoid lumps.
  3. Add the remaining 400ml of milk previously flavoured with the vanilla pod. Pour the liquid into a pan.
  4. Put the pan on a medium-low heat and stir well to avoid lumps till the cream is thicked. Leave to cool at room temperature.
Icing:
  1. In a bowl, cream the butter adding the icing sugar a little at a time and stir very well.
  2. Add the cheese and the lemon extract.
  3. Whip the cream and add to the mixture.
  4. Put in the fridge to thicken for at least 1 hour.
Decoration:
*This method is a quick way to candy the slices and the lemon peel that will be needed to decorate the cake. It's better to make this a day before making the cake.
  1. Wash the lemons very well. With a knife, peel them without going too deep into the lemon. Cut it into thin little strips.
  2. In a little pan, melt the sugar with the water. Add the lemon peels and bring to the boil.
  3. Turn the heat off and leave to cool. Repeat this for at least two more times.
  4. Drain the lemon peels and lay on to the baking paper. Leave to dry well.
Final step:
  1. Slice the cake in at least 3 layers and fill each layer with the cream filling. Put the layers back together.
  2. Spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake.
  3. Decorate with the candied lemon peels and, if you have, some lemon leaves.
  4. Leave in the fridge for about 30 minutes for the icing to set well.
Recipe by The Freaky Table at https://www.zairazarotti.com/a-lemon-cake-for-a-flemish-portrait-an-esoteric-story-of-a-venetian-courtyard/