9.10.2008

lemon custard cake

Have I mentioned that my mother-in-law is an amazing cook? Sometimes it's really hard for me to realize that no matter how good of I cook I think I am (or I may be, for that matter) - some things will never taste as good to David unless his mother makes them.

Case in point:
1. Homemade bread
2. Raspberry Jam
3. Enchilada sauce
4. Sopa
5. Sourdough waffles

Anyway, it's OK though because I love food and she loves food and we talk about food a lot. It's a subject that we can talk about all day . . . and I like that. The last time I was in California at their house, she was looking through some recipes and mentioned a recipe that she thought I would like to make - Lemon Custard Cake. She was right - I did want to make it and I waited for the perfect opportunity to do just that - my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

Lemon Custard Cake
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine all above ingredients in a large bowl. With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg yolk mixture on low speed. Gradually continue whisking while increasing the speed slowly. Beat until very thick.

Sift in:
1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour

In a separate large bowl, combine the following ingredients:
8 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg white mixture on low speed. Gradually continue whisking while increasing the speed slowly.

Slowly add:
1 cup sugar

Beat until the mixture resembles stiff glossy peaks. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the flour/egg yolk mixture. Be very gentle with the batter (do not overmix!) Pour the batter into an ungreased Angel Food Cake pan. With a knife, carefully cut into the batter to remove air pockets. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and invert immediately. Let cool for at least 2 hours while inverted. Once completely cool, remove the cake by gently cutting around the sides of the pan. Remove the cake and cut into 3 equal layers (use toothpicks on all 4 sides to make even layers). Spread with chilled lemon custard filling (recipe follows) in between each layer. Dust with sifted powdered sugar before serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve immediately.

Custard Filling
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup cold milk

Combine pudding mix with the cold milk. Follow box instructions for instant pudding. Let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until thick cream. Gently fold into pudding and chill.

5 comments:

Tricia said...

This makes me sooooo happy. Never stop this blog!

Michelle @ Twig said...

oh my goodness you've been cooking up a storm! and just a note that i will never stop commenting on how awesome your headers always are!

Leslie said...

this sounds like the yummiest thing ever. thank you!

Unknown said...

Lizzy, I recently made this cake for a friend's birthday celebration. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

We ran into a few issues where the directions weren't entirely clear, and we were left to guess at their meaning. One example is where you say to beat the egg yolk mixture "until very thick" but don't describe that consistency or how long it should take. Another is, in the directions for the custard filling, you say to combine the pudding mix with the cold milk, and also to follow the directions on the box--which seemed to be contradictory. In the end, we decided to follow your instructions literally, and it worked out. Perhaps a few more precise notes or helpful hints could have made the recipe easier to follow for a less experienced baker like me.

Despite that, the cake came out of the oven light and airy, and smelling wonderfully, and the custard mix was delicious. It was such a scrumptious treat -- sweet and lemony, and just right. :)

Thanks again for sharing your love of cooking and these scrumptious recipes!

whitneyingram said...

Boo. I just came to get the list of ingredients for this and I don't have an angel food cake pan. Looks like I need to buy one to make this!