Does anyone have a really good lemon cake recipe? I want it to be on the firmer side because I need to be able to carve it. Also, what kind of frosting would you match with it? Thanks.

Leslie

Well, I freeze cakes before carving so that really helps.
Not sure if you would like the first recipe for carving. I haven't used it for that yet. It isn't super crumbly though, even though there is cake flour in it. It tastes wonderfully marvelous.
The second one is an old standard, without using the glaze it is nice and firm. You can omit the poppy seeds too if you like.
I like Littlbell's lemon icing. You could also fill with a lemon curd if you like.
Hugs Squirrelly
Littlbell, from the Wilton site, had left this recipe for me on the Wilton site awhile back. It is excellent.
Serving: Yields: 12 servings (one 9-inch 2-layer cake)


3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl using a mixer set at medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending each thoroughly before adding the next. Scrape down sides and beat in vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the lemon juice and buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients.

2. Bake the cake: Divide the batter equally between the pans and spread evenly. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a tester inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean -- 20 to 30 minutes. Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the cake layers from the sides of the pans and invert the layers onto the wire rack to cool completely. Frost with lemon buttercream.

Store refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Lemon Buttercream

Serving: 3 cups

1/2 cup (about 3 large eggs) egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (lemon zest it the yellow peel off the lemon, without any of the pith or white inner flesh, attached)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Make the frosting: In a large stainless-steel bowl placed over a pot filled with 1 inch of simmering water, place the egg whites and sugar. Use a whisk to beat the mixture until it is very hot to the touch (about 160 degrees F). Remove from heat and, using a mixer set on high speed, immediately begin whipping the mixture until it is cool, thick, and glossy and has tripled in volume -- about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add the butter -- about a quarter cup at a time -- allowing 5 to 10 seconds in between each addition. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.

If you torte the layers, you will need to double the frosting recipe. Otherwise this fills and ices a 9 inch two layer cake that is not torted.
Sudbury Sandy's Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

1 pkg. Duncan Hines white or yellow cake mix or lemon if you lie
1 cup of water or milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup Crisco liquid shortening (less oil makes a firmer cake like a pound cake, still moist but more firm)
4 eggs, large
1 pkg. (serves 4) Jello instant pudding - you can use lemon, coconut cream or vanilla
4 tbsp. poppy seeds (make sure your poppy seeds are fresh - they can go rancid)
Mix all dry ingredients and make a well in the center in the bowl. Add water or milk and shortening. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour into well-greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan.
Now you can drizzle when the cake comes out of the pan or when it is cool. You can use all of the glaze or some of it. You can just place on the top and brush on the sides or you can poke holes all over and keep brushing until much of the glaze is inserted.
Lemon Glaze/Drizzle
Heat 1/2 cup of lemon juice, either from a jar or from freshly squeezed lemons. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of sifted icing sugar and whisk until the lumps are gone.

Also, regular buttercream or a cream cheese icing go well with lemon cakes.
Hugs Squirrelly

Thanks Squirrelly! I'll most likely use the second recipe this time, but the first recipe is something I want to try too. I need to make 2 9x13 cakes, how much frosting do you think I'll need? I'm going to carve the cakes to look like an ear. Thanks.

heehee...That's a good one! I like the "hopefully" part. I'm in college for massage therapy and I have a project on ear candling. I was going to make the cake for "suck up" points! I just made the candle today.

Aren't all men "set in their ways". That's why we have to by sly when we "change" the things that we don't like about them.

My group and I have to do a presentation regarding our topic. We told the teacher the different things we were doing. I told him I was making a cake and he said that's all we needed for an A!....Works for me!

I just made this cake and it has a firm poundcake texture.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101874

IMO, lemon cake is yummy with lemoncurd buttercream or white chocolate ganache.