Moist Lemon Cake Recipe

Hard to believe that with all the lemon flavored cakes on my blog, I actually don’t have a basic lemon cake recipe. That is, until now!

A lemon cake recipe is long overdue on CakebyCourtney.com and I’m so excited to share with you this delicious, new lemon cake recipe with lemon curd and lemon buttercream.

So what’s different about this lemon cake?

You’ll notice, I have several lemon cake recipes on my blog. Some are light and fluffy, some are slightly more dense, some are flavored with Jell-O, while others are flavored naturally. It’s really fun to create different types of cake recipes that have the same flavor profile, because we all like different flavors and textures of cake.

Here’s a little rundown of the cakes:

So we’ve got a few variations, which hopefully means you find the perfect lemon cake for you!

For my new Lemon Cake recipe, my number one goal was to make sure it was MOIST! Sometimes, cakes with only egg whites, can over bake easily and taste dry. The goal for this one was to make it as fool proof as possible.

Ingredients You Need for Lemon Cake

• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• 3 large lemons
• Eggs
• Buttermilk
• Food coloring, optional

How to Make Moist Lemon Cake from Scratch

To make a moist lemon cake from scratch, be sure to follow these tips:

1. Use room temperature ingredients – any ingredient you store in the refrigerator should be room temperature before you start making your cake. Room temperature ingredients better blend together and are better absorbed by the dry ingredients – which both help to create a high rise and moist cake.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and eggs well – these first few ingredients need to be mixed on a medium high speed for a few minutes before you add anything else. Specifically, start with beating the butter and sugar together on a medium-high speed to lighten the texture and create a little air in the mixture. You’ll then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. THEN, after the eggs are adding, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue to mix on medium-high speed for a couple minutes. We want the mixture to be smooth, lighter in color, and fluffy in texture.
3. Don’t over-mix the batter when you add dry ingredients – once you start adding dry ingredients, you’ll want to make sure your mixer is on low speed. Over-mixing the cake batter can cause it to be dense and sink because you overwork the gluten (the flour).
4. Be sure not to over-bake the cakes – sometimes are cakes taste dry because we’ve simply over-baked them. As you bake recipes, from me or any author, be sure to watch the baked good during the last few minutes of baking. Take note if your oven bakes faster or slower than given times. You may need to adjust for your oven, since all ovens act so differently.

How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd

Adding lemon curd to any cake is almost unfair to the cake because no matter how delicious the cake is, homemade lemon curd always steals the show!

You will only need a handful of simple ingredients to make the lemon curd:

• Granulated sugar
• Lemon zest from one large lemon
• Lemon juice 
• Eggs
• Egg yolks
• Unsalted butter

First, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs and egg yolks, and then whisk them into the lemon mixture. Do this before you turn on the stove, or right at the beginning. Adding the eggs too late after the sugar mixture has been heating can create an egg-y flavor in the curd.

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it’s thick like pudding. This usually takes 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Once everything is all mixed in together nicely, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. It helps to push it through with a rubber spatula. Lastly, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate it until it is completely set. I recommend at least 4 hours. But it can be stored for up to 5 days!

Tips for the Best Buttercream Frosting

Making homemade buttercream is a game changer, compared to anything you’ll buy at the store. I have a couple key tips for making the best buttercream frosting every time:

1. Sift the powdered sugar
2. Beat the butter on its own for a few minutes
3. Use a little heavy whipping cream
4. Beat all of the ingredients together on medium-high for a few minutes.

Read more about how to make the best buttercream HERE.

You may notice my lemon curd in this picture is extra bright. I used organic eggs that had a more orange yolk, which added a real pop of color to the curd!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Lemon Cakes to Try!

Cake

Moist and Delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Cake

The Best Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd and Lemon Buttercream

Cake

Light and Fluffy Lemon Oreo Cake with Lemon Buttercream

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Lemon Cake

Lemon cake layers with lemon curd and lemon buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Intermediate, Lemon buttercream, Lemon Cake, Lemon curd

Servings 20

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2 g) baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (9 g) lemon zest, one large lemon
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (83 g) fresh lemon juice, about three large lemons
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1-3 drops yellow food coloring, optional (I used Americolor Lemon Yellow)

FOR THE CURD

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (9 g) grated lemon zest, one large lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 3 large lemons
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp (56.5 g) unsalted butter, cold

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (446 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 2 tsp (8.4 g) lemon extract
• 1/4 cup (57.5 g) heavy whipping cream
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake, as decorated above. If you want additional piping, you'll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and zest together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and mixing well between each addition. Mix on medium-high speed until no grains of sugar remain, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Be sure not to over mix. Over mixing your cake batter will cause it to sink. ***As you add the last of the buttermilk mixture, this is a good time to start coloring your batter if you'd like it a brighter yellow.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, about 18 ounces in each 8-inch pan or about 13 ounces in each 6-inch pan. Bake the cake layers for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Allow the cake layers to cool in the pans on wire racks for about 10 to 15 minutes. Invert cake layers onto a wire rack to cool completely. TIP: spray your wire rack with nonstick spray to prevent the cake layers from sticking.
• Allow to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in the freezer until ready to decorate.

FOR THE CURD

• This element is best done a day or two ahead of stacking and decorating your cake.
• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. 

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream, salt and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes.
• Before applying the buttercream to your cake, use wooden spoon to beat the frosting by hand for about 2 minutes to push out any air pockets. 

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
• Spread about a half cup of frosting over the cake layer and pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling.
• Spread about ¼ cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.
• Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat step 2 and 3. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
• Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
• Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve a spoonful of the remaining lemon curd with each slice of cake.

The post The Best Lemon Cake Recipe first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Best Lemon Cake Recipe appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake

My Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake is inspired by my popular Cheese Danish Cake, which was inspired by the most delicious cheese danish from Farmstead Bakery in St. George, Utah. The Cheese Danish Cake has been such a huge hit and if you haven’t made it yet, I think my mom’s reaction to the cake will definitely convince you to!

As I worked on my new book, “BAKE, by Courtney,” I knew I wanted to create a bundt cake version of the Cheese Danish Cake. As I played around with flavors, I landed on fresh raspberries and a raspberry glaze.

For the Bundt Cake

For the cake, I used the same cake batter from the Cheese Danish Cake, which comes from my Cherry Cheese Pie Cake. These layers are slightly more dense than a typical vanilla cake, but it’s still so tender and moist. We’re using a stick of cream cheese and adding a full tablespoon of vanilla bean paste. The flavor is to-die-for!

Make sure to use fresh raspberries, or sub for another berry like blueberries. Avoid, frozen berries, however, because they’ll release too much water into the cake batter.

Benefits of Making a Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes are known for their distinct ring shape, which is created using a bundt pan with a tube in the center. This unique shape not only makes the cakes visually appealing but also offers several benefits:

1. Even Baking: The hole in the center of the bundt pan allows heat to circulate evenly throughout the cake, leading to consistent baking. This helps avoid undercooked or overcooked areas.
2. Attractive Presentation: Bundt cakes have a beautiful, intricate shape that looks impressive on its own. They require minimal decoration to look stunning, making them a popular choice for parties and events.
3. Versatility: Bundt cakes can be made with a variety of flavors and fillings, from traditional vanilla or chocolate to more exotic options like lemon, almond, or pumpkin. Bundt cakes are great all year and for any occassion!
4. Moist Texture: The design of the bundt pan helps keep the cake moist and tender, as the cake is typically baked more evenly.
5. Simple to Serve: The ring shape of a bundt cake makes it easy to slice and serve uniformly – and we love convenience of serving at parties with big groups.

Which Bundt Pan Should I Use?

For this bundt cake recipe, I used the Nordic Ware Brilliance Bundt Pan. The same of this pan is truly so stunning and I love how the glaze falls between the lines so perfectly, almost like a drip on a layered cake!

How Do I Make Sure My Cake Doesn’t Stick to My Bundt Pan

I have three tips for making sure your cake doesn’t stick to the bundt pan:

• Spray well with nonstick spray
• Dust with flour, or in this case, cocoa powder
• Allow the cake to cool COMPLETELY before inverting the pan into a cake plate to serve.

That last one is key! Give the cake a while to cool before flipping it out. When we try to flip the cake while it’s still warm is when the cake will stick and fall apart.

More BUNDT CAKES TO TRY

Copycat Tom Cruise White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bundt Cake Inspired by Mother’s Cookies

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Butter Cake

The Most Delicious Jelly Donut Bundt Cake

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Raspberry Cheese Danish Cake

Moist and tender cream cheese cake with fresh raspberries and a raspberry cream cheese glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Bundt Cake, raspberry, Raspberry cheese danish bundt cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (218 g) grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla bean paste
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 cup (about 125 g) fresh raspberries

For the Glaze

• 1 cup (about 125 g) raspberries
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
• 2 ounces cream cheese

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick spray. Coat the inside of the pan with granulated sugar. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
• Add the sugar and grapeseed oil and continue to beat on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between additions. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.
• Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture gets smooth in texture and slightly bigger in volume.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ of the buttermilk, another ⅓ of the flour, the second half of the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
• Gently fold in the raspberries.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
• Remove from oven and place the bundt pan on a cooling rack to cool completely. Allow the cake to cool for about an hour, until it’s room temperature, before inverting the cake on a cake stand. Allowing the cake to cool completely in the pan helps the cake to release from the sides cleanly when it’s time to take the cake out.

For the Glaze

• Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor. Strain the mixture to remove the seeds.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the raspberry juice, powdered sugar and cream cheese.
• Drizzle over the bundt cake.

The post The Best Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Best Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Cream Cheese Danish Cake

It might sound like an odd name for a cake, but I truly couldn’t think of a better way to describe the flavor of this cake. After a recent trip to St. George, where Avery and I tried nearly all of the pastries from The Farmstead , I just had to create this cake.

What is a Cheese Danish?

A cheese Danish is a type of pastry made with a buttery, flaky dough that is similar to croissant dough. It is typically shaped into a round or oval shape and has a well in the center filled with a sweet and tangy cheese filling. The filling is usually made with cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla for flavor. The pastry is baked until golden brown and crisp, and it may be topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of icing for added sweetness.

The cheese Danish from Farmstead, however, is unlike any cheese Danish I’ve ever had! This one had a light and fluffy cheese filling inside a kouign amann-like pastry, and topped with cream cheese frosting. Heaven! Pure heaven!

Look at that!

It was glorious!

While I cheered Avery on at her dance competition, I was simultaneously thinking about how I could turn this into a cake — and I got started on it the day we got home!

What is a Cream Cheese Danish Cake?

Great question! Let’s talk about what I did to create this Cream Cheese Danish Cake (which could also be called a Cheesecake Cake – very similar flavors).

Cream Cheese Cake

For the cake layers, I knew I wanted to use my cream cheese cake layers from my Cherry Cheese Pie Cake. These layers are slightly more dense than a typical vanilla cake, but they’re still fluffy and tender. We’re using a stick of cream cheese and adding a full tablespoon of vanilla bean paste. The flavor is to-die-for!

How to Bake a Moist Cake From Scratch

If you’re unfamiliar with making cakes from scratch, THIS blog post is a must-read!

A quick overview:

• Use real butter
• Measure flour correctly
• Add fat
• Don’t over bake
• Know your oven
• Use light metal pans
• Serve your cake at room temperature

Cream Cheese Filling

This cream cheese filling is essentially just cream cheese. We’re adding just a little sweetened condensed milk for sweetness. It’s not a lot because we want the cheese flavor to stand out here.

Cream Cheese Frosting

To top off this cake, I’ve made my cream cheese frosting with some vanilla bean paste. Remember, cream cheese frosting is not as stable as regular buttercream, so I don’t recommend trying to pipe with it. You can see I opted for a rustic look with this cake. Trying to smooth cream cheese frosting with a scraper can be tricky because the “cheese” element is sticky.

Other Favorite Cake Recipes You’ll Love

• Chocolate Cherry Pie Cake
• Red, White and Blue Berry Cake
• Chocolate Cola Cake
• Creamsicle Cake
• Ice Cream Sundae Cake
• Ultimate S’mores Cake

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Cheese Danish Cake

Cream cheese cake layers, cheesecake filling, and vanilla bean cream cheese frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword cheesecake, cream cheese, cream cheese cake, cream cheese frosting, cream cheese icing

Servings 20

Ingredients

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5.6 g) salt
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (218 g) grapeseed oil
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (13 g) vanilla bean paste
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, I use the Eagle brand

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 ounces cream cheese, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1 tbsp (13g) vanilla bean paste
• pinch of salt

Instructions

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth cream cheese. Add the grapeseed oil and sugar and continue to beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium, add the vanilla bean paste, followed by the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Once all of the eggs are added, turn the mixer to mediump-high speed and beat for an additional 2 miniutes.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in three additions, starting and finishing with the flour. Combine until incorporated, about 20 to 30 seconds.
• Evenly distribute the batter among the two cake pans (about 27 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Let cool in pans 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely, cut the cakes in half horizontally (this is called "torting" the cake). You can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for several weeks.

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

• In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
• Add vanilla bean paste and pinch of salt. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the buttercream for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Use a spoon to mix the frosting by hand, which will push out the air pockets created by the electric mixer.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake plate. Spread about ½ cup frosting over the first cake layer. Using a piping bag, pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake.
• Fill the cake with ½ – ¾ cup cheesecake filling.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat step two. Repeat these steps until you get to the final cake layer (remember, you have four layers now. Place the final cake layer, top side down.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set crumb coat.
• Finish frosting the cake with the remaining frosting

The post The Most Delicious Cream Cheese Danish Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Most Delicious Cream Cheese Danish Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Lemon Oreo Cake

I’m so excited to share my new Lemon Oreo Cake with you. If you’ve tried my Golden Oreo Cake or even my Cookies and Cream Cake, you are going to love this cake! We’re using the same filling from those cakes with the lemon Oreos.

The base of the cake is light and fluffy with a hint of lemon extract and more lemon Oreos. I think you’ll love the texture of the cake with the cookies in it.

We’ll top this bright and happy cake off with lemon buttercream.

Ingredients You Need for this Lemon Oreo Cake

• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Lemon extract or lemon emulsion
• Egg
• Buttermilk
• Lemon Oreos

How to Make Moist Cake Layers from Scratch

When making the cake layers, don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting your cakes to rise and bake well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray the pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment and spray again.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients.
• When mixing the butter, sugar, and eggs, be sure to mix until completely smooth, light in color and fluffy in texture.
• Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

Oreo Whipped Cream Cheese Filling

If you haven’t tried this whipped cream cheese filling, be prepared to fall in love! This tangy, sweet filling pairs so well with the lemon Oreos. It’s also great with peanut butter Oreos, regular Oreos, and golden Oreos! In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a perfect pairing to any Oreo flavor!

Ingredients You’ll Need for this Recipe

• Cream cheese
• Heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar
• Lemon Oreos

How to Make the Whipped Cream Cheese Filling

To make this filling, you basically have three steps:

• Whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks
• Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth
• Fold the whipped cream and Oreos into the cream cheese mixture

NOTE: you can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble your cake. HOWEVER, do not add the Oreos until you’re ready to assemble.

Alternatively, you can also assemble the entire cake ahead of time and freeze it. The cookies will keep most of their crunch this way too.

Lemon Buttercream

The lemon buttercream on this Lemon Oreo Cake is truly the cherry on top! This light and fluffy lemon buttercream isn’t too strong, but instead, adds just another subtle layer of the lemon flavoring to this delicious cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need for this Recipe

• Unsalted butter
• Powdered sugar
• Heavy whipping cream
• Lemon extract
• Salt
• Food coloring, optional
  

How to Make the Best Buttercream Frosting

To get this delicious buttercream, make sure you follow my tips: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step to make sure you get the best buttercream frosting. And remember, these steps can be used for any buttercream recipe on my blog.

Other Oreo-Inspired Cakes You’ll Love

Delicious Golden Oreo Cake

Decadent and Delicious Peanut Butter Oreo Cake

The Most Delicious Mocha Caramel Oreo Cake

Strawberry Lemonade Cake with Sweet and Tart Lemon Curd Filling

Print

Lemon Oreo Cake

Light and fluffy lemon Oreo cake layers with a whipped cream cheese and lemon Oreo filling and lemon buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Lemon, Lemon buttercream, Lemon Cake, Lemon Oreo, Lemon Oreo Cake

Servings 20 people

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) lemon extract
• 1 1/4 cups (300 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 12 Lemon Oreos, crushed into chunks

FOR THE FILLING

• 3/4 cup (173 g) whipping cream
• 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 8 Lemon Oreos, broken into chunks

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) lemon extract
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch with non-stick spray and then line with parchment. Spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the eggs on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition. Stir in the lemon extract. Continue to mix the batter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy in texture.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions, ⅓ flour mixture, second half of ½ buttermilk and the final ⅓ flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low.

  Fold in the crushed lemon Oreos
• Evenly divide the batter between the three pans (about 18 ounces) and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).

FOR THE FILLING

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream on high for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Transfer the cream to another bowl and set aside.
• In the now empty bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for a couple minutes until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat for a couple minutes until smooth.
• Fold in the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture until no streaks of whipping cream remain.

  Fold in the lemon Oreos.
• NOTE: Best to make right before you assemble the cake so the cookies don't get soggy. If you want to make this ahead of time, just leave out the Oreos until you're ready to assemble.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale in color.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, lemon extract, and pinch of salt.
• Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a couple minutes more.
• Before using the buttercream, make sure to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to help push out the air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board. Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake and then fill the center with about 1 cup of the filling.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream and filling. Repeat piping and filling.
• Place final cake layer, top side down.
• Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of the buttercream and freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes to set this layer of frosting. 
• Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining buttercream.

The post Light and Fluffy Lemon Oreo Cake with Lemon Buttercream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Light and Fluffy Lemon Oreo Cake with Lemon Buttercream appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Excited to share with you my Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe. The combination of lemon and blueberry is such a classic duo and is good in so many forms: pancakes, muffins, baked french toast, and of course, cake!

Lemon Blueberry Cake

This popular flavor combination has been done by many before, but I love how each cake or muffin or pancake recipe is a little different. One of my favorite versions of a Lemon Blueberry Cake is from Sweetapolita. Rosie’s recipe is one of the first cakes I ever made and I’ve always loved her flavor combinations and sprinkles!

Cake Layers

My version of a Lemon Blueberry Cake is inspired by Rosie’s cake. I’ve altered my lemon cake layers from my Lemon Bar Cake. The one difference you’ll see between the Lemon Bar Cake and this Lemon Blueberry Cake is that I’m not using lemon pudding mix. Instead, I’ve subbed some of my buttermilk with fresh lemon juice. The texture and flavor are just as awesome as the Lemon Bar Cake. I just decided to give you another option for a lemon cake in case you can’t get your hands on lemon pudding.

When you’re making the cake layers, make sure you allow for plenty of time (a couple of hours, usually) for the wet ingredients to get to room temperature. Room temperature ingredients are better absorbed by dry ingredients, and that helps your cake to rise better.

Size Matters

Also, try to find the smallest blueberries possible. The smaller the blueberries, the better they’ll stay in place as they bake in the cake batter. You’ll also want to make sure you dust your blueberries in flour to help prevent them from sinking, as well.

You can see some of my blueberries held great in their spot and some of the bigger ones definitely fell to the bottom.

The Most Delicious Lemon Buttercream

The buttercream for this cake is the same buttercream I use in my Lemon Bar Cake. To get a bright yellow color, you’ll want to add some yellow food coloring. I like using Americolor food gels. For the cake layers and buttercream, I added a few drops of “lemon yellow.”

Assembly

Don’t forget to:

• Chill your cake layers before assembly
• Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of your cake layers
• Not to overfill your cake layers with too much lemon curd. Save leftover curd to serve with each slice of cake (or to use on toast in the morning!)
• Apply a crumb coat before your final coat of frosting

Video Tutorial

Tools

You can find the spatulas and scrapers I used over on SHOP.CAKEBYCOURTNEY.COM.

You’ll also find my first cookbook, “CAKE, by Courtney” with this recipe and so many more HERE.

More Cakes to Love

Mom’s Legendary Lemon Bars

• Mom’s Legendary Lemon Bars
• The Best Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe
• 3 Delicious Ways to Use Lemon Curd
• Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake
• 5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch

Print

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon cake layers with fresh blueberries, lemon curd and lemon buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Intermediate, Lemon Blueberry Cake, Lemon Cake

Servings 20

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (9 g) lemon zest, one large lemon
• 1/2 tsp (2.8 g) salt
• 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 6 eggs whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup lemon juice about three large lemons
• 3/4 cup (194 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 cup (140 g) blueberries, try to find the smallest ones
• 3 drops yellow food coloring, optional (I used Americolor Lemon Yellow)

FOR THE CURD

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (9 g) grated lemon zest, one large lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 3 large lemons
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp (56.5 g) unsalted butter, cold

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (446 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 2 tsp (8.4 g) lemon extract
• 1/4 cup (57.5 g) heavy whipping cream
• pinch of salt
• 4 drops yellow food coloring, optional (I used Americolor Lemon Yellow)
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake, as decorated above. If you want additional piping, you'll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and zest together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites, one at a time, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and mixing well between each addition. Mix on medium-high speed until no grains of sugar remain, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Be sure not to over mix. Over mixing your cake batter will cause it to sink. ***As you add the last of the buttermilk mixture, this is a good time to start coloring your batter if you'd like it a brighter yellow.
• Coat your blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and then gently fold them into the cake batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, about 18 ounces in each 8-inch pan or about 13 ounces in each 6-inch pan. Bake the cake layers for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Allow the cake layers to cool in the pans on wire racks for about 10 to 15 minutes. Invert cake layers onto a wire rack to cool completely. TIP: spray your wire rack with nonstick spray to prevent the cake layers from sticking.
• Allow to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in the freezer until ready to decorate.

FOR THE CURD

• This element is best done a day or two ahead of stacking and decorating your cake.
• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. 

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream, salt and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes.
• Before applying the buttercream to your cake, use wooden spoon to beat the frosting by hand for about 2 minutes to push out any air pockets. 

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
• Spread about a half cup of frosting over the cake layer and pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling.
• Spread about ¼ cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.
• Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat step 2 and 3. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
• Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
• Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve a spoonful of the remaining lemon curd with each slice of cake.

The post The Best Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd and Lemon Buttercream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Best Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd and Lemon Buttercream appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Lemon Biscoff Cake

Last week in cake class at Orson Gygi we made my Lemon Bar Cake. It has the most delicious lemon cake layers baked on a shortbread crust and is filled with lemon curd. Between classes, Heather (who runs the classes and is basically family!) grabbed a Biscoff cookie from the pantry and encouraged me to dip it in the lemon curd.

What a combination! Like, wow!

I immediately was thinking of how to make a cake with these two flavors and the texture of the Biscoff cookie.

I originally thought of using my Biscoff cake layers, but Heather convinced me to go with my lemon ricotta cake layers from my Olive Oil Ricotta Cake, and I am so happy I listened.

This Lemon Biscoff Cake is beyond delicious and each flavor and texture really stand out and compliment one another.

Lemon Ricotta Cake

These cake layers are my favorite. I have used them in several cakes because the texture and flavor is so versatile. Here are just a few of my faves:

Cakes with Ricotta Cake Layers

Old Fashioned Blueberry Delight Cake

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Strawberry Basil Compote

Sweet and Savory Apple Ricotta Bacon Cake

Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake

You’ll notice the weight of the cake is heavier than most of my other cakes. We can thank the two cups of ricotta for that! The ricotta helps to create a moist and tender texture. While I’d call this a dense cake, it’s not a small, tight crumb (like a pound cake). Rather, it’s a bigger, slightly loose crumb with some denseness to it.

NOTE: you can swap the grapeseed oil for a light olive oil.

How to Make Lemon Curd

Lemon curd was a must for this cake since it was the combination of the Biscoff cookie and the lemon curd that inspired this one. If you’ve never made lemon curd before, you’re in for a treat! Once you make homemade lemon curd, you’ll never go back to store-bought. Homemade is easy to make and tastes 100x better than anything you’ll get at a store.

You will only need a handful of simple ingredients to make the lemon curd:

• Granulated sugar
• Lemon zest, from one large lemon
• Lemon juice 
• Eggs
• Egg yolks
• Unsalted butter

You’ll need 3 large lemons for the amount of lemon juice needed for this recipe. And the unsalted butter should be cold and cut into small pieces when adding it to your lemon mixture. Other than that, the recipe is pretty straightforward!

• First, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs and egg yolks, and then whisk them into the lemon mixture. 
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it’s thick like pudding. This usually takes 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is all incorporated.
• Once everything is all mixed in together nicely, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. It helps to push it through with a rubber spatula. Lastly, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate it until it is completely set. I recommend at least 4 hours. But it can be stored for up to 5 days!

How to Schedule Baking the Lemon Biscoff Cake

Beyond that, this cake is actually quite simple to make:

• Biscoff cookie crust
• Lemon ricotta cake layers
• Lemon curd
• Lemon buttercream

ENJOY!

Print

Lemon Biscoff Cake

Lemon ricotta cake layers baked on a Biscoff cookie crust with lemon curd and lemon buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword biscoff, Lemon, Lemon Biscoff Cake, Lemon buttercream, Lemon curd, Lemon Ricotta Cake

Servings 18

Ingredients

FOR THE BISCOFF COOKIE CRUST

• 25 Biscoff cookies, finely ground
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup (66.7 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE LEMON RICOTTA CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (218 g) grapeseed oil
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cups (480 g) ricotta cheese

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (55 g) lemon juice, about 3 lemons
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons (56.5 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) lemon extract
• 4 tablespoons (60 g) heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• Yellow food coloring, optional
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

FOR THE BISCOFF COOKIE CRUST

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line with parchment, and then spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the Biscoff cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Stir until all the crumbs are damped by the melted butter. Alternatively, you can add the melted butter and sugar to your food processor after you've pulverized the cookies.
• Divide evenly between the three pans (about 5 ounces in each pan) and press down firmly with your hand or the back of a measuring cup to form the crust.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the cake batter.

FOR THE LEMON RICOTTA CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the grapeseed oil and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat the minxture for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and look lighter in color.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the ricotta, starting and finishing with the flour. Stir until incorporated.
• Evenly distribute the batter among the three cake pans on top of the crusts (about 16 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Remove from oven, and let the cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting the layers onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator overnight or freezer for longer.

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it’s thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream, salt and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes.
• Use a spatula to beat the buttercream by hand to push out any air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of buttercream onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
• Spread a thin layer of buttercream (only about a half cup) over the cake layer and pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling. Spread about ¼ cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.
• Place a second cake layer on top of the piped buttercream and filling and repeat step 2. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
• Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 15 minutes to set the buttercream.
• Remove the cake from the freezer and contiue decorating the cake with the remaining buttercream. Serve a spoonful of the remaining lemon curd with each slice of cake, or add it to the top of the cake as pictured.

The post Lemon Biscoff Cake with Lemon Buttercream and Lemon Curd first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Lemon Biscoff Cake with Lemon Buttercream and Lemon Curd appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Lemon Pretzel Cake

This flavor combination has been on my list for a while now, thanks to a family food wars night with the kids. The challenge was to make a dipping sauce for homemade pretzels. Westin made a lemon sauce and it was a total winner with the pretzels. Ever since, I’ve been dreaming up ways to use the two flavors together in a cake.

Cake Layers

For the cake layers, I went with pretzel! Yup! Pretzel. Just like we use crushed Biscoff cookies in the Biscoff Cake, we’re using crushed pretzels in the cake layers for this one. I think you’ll love the flavor and the fact that it’s not overly sweet. It balances really well with the other flavors and elements.

Lemon Pretzel Filling

And you know me, I love a crunch in my cakes. I originally thought about doing a pretzel crust, but the more I thought about it, a lemon pretzel crunch filling (inspired by Milk Bar) just felt right.

You’ll want more pretzels, milk powder, lemon zest, sugar, and butter for this filling. Warning you now… you will eat half of this as a snack while you’re making this cake. But don’t worry, there will be enough for the cake and for snacking

Lemon Curd

How to Make Lemon Curd

If you haven’t made homemade lemon curd before, you’re in for a treat! Not only is it incredibly delicious, it’s actually quite easy to make. I have detailed instructions in my cookbook, as well as on my blog post for my Lemon Bar Cake.

Tips for the lemon curd:

• Make the lemon curd a few days in advance.
• DO NOT put too much curd in between the layers so it doesn’t lose stability. Instead, use only about ¼ to ⅓ cup curd in the cake and serve extra on the side of each slice.

Lemon Buttercream

How to Make the Best Buttercream Frosting

To get this delicious buttercream, make sure you follow my tips: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step to make sure you get the best buttercream frosting. And remember, these steps can be used for any buttercream recipe on my blog.

How to Cake It: Step-by-Step Picture Assembly Tutorial

I don’t know about you, but I’m a visual learner and love picture tutorials. Take a look below for a step-by-step tutorial for stacking and decorating my Lemon Pretzel Cake.

Can I make this cake as a 9-inch by 13-inch sheet pan cake?

For sure! In fact, you can turn any of my cakes into 9-inch by 13-inch cakes, or even bundt cakes and cupcakes. The only thing that really changes is the bake time:

• 9″ x 13″ – you’ll generally increase the bake time by about 10 to 15 minutes
• Bundt pan – a bundt cake bakes almost twice as long as the layers. Plan for 50 to 60 minutes, in most cases
• Cupcakes – for cupcakes, you’ll want to decrease the bake by 5 to 10 minutes

Remember, each recipe is a little different, so bake times will vary. The best way to know your cake is done is to insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. When you take that toothpick out, it should have a few moist crumbs on it.

Other Cakes You’ll Love

• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Chocolate Pretzel Cake
• Lemon Oreo Cake
• Coconut Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Print

Lemon Pretzel Cake

Pretzel cake layers, lemon curd, lemon pretzel crunch filling, and lemon buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Lemon, Lemon buttercream, Lemon curd, Lemon Pretzel Cake, Pretzel

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups (100 g) pretzel sticks, finely ground
• 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons (7 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (480 g) buttermilk, at room temperature

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (9 g) grated lemon zest one large lemon
• 1/2 cup lemon juice about 3 lemons
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons (56.5 g) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

FOR THE LEMON PRETZEL FILLING

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups (75 g) milk powder, divided
• 1 1/4 cups (150 g) crushed pretzels, mostly pulverized but some chunks are okay
• 4 teaspoons (10.4 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest
• 6 ounces (112.5 g) white chocolate

FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) lemon extract
• 4 tablespoons (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• Yellow food coloring optional
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch pans with non-stick cooking spray, line the bottoms with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• Place the pretzel sticks in a food processor or blender and pulse until the pretzels are finely ground and resemble flour. When you remeasure, you should have about a cup.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until the ingredients are well-blended.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add half of the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Continue alternating the flour and buttermilk until it has all been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly mix for another 20-30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly among your pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely.

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it’s thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

FOR THE LEMON PRETZEL FILLING

• Heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup milk powder, pretzel crumbs, lemon zest, and sugar. Toss with your hands to mix. Add the melted butter and toss, using a spatula or spoon, until the mixture starts to come together and form small clusters.
• Spread the clusters on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The crumbs should be sandy at that point. Cool the crumbs completely.
• Crumble any clusters that are larger than ½ inch in diameter, and put the crumbs back in the medium bowl. Add the ½ cup milk powder and toss together until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
• Pour the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are covered. The crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream, salt and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes.
• Use wooden spoon to beat the frosting by hand for about 2 minutes to push out any air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
• Spread a thin layer of frosting over the cake layer and pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling.
• Spread about ¼ cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.
• Sprinkle about a half cup to three-quarters cup of the lemon pretzel filling over the lemon curd. Gently pat into place.
• Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat these steps.
• Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
• Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
• Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Top with more lemon curd and lemon pretzel crunch filling.

The post The Best Lemon Pretzel Cake with Lemon Curd first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Best Lemon Pretzel Cake with Lemon Curd appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Tender and fluffy lemon cake layers with lemon white chocolate buttercream and a lemon white chocolate wafer cookie crunch filling make up the most delicious Lemon KitKat Cake inspired by Lemon KitKat candy bars.

Lemon KitKats

During a recent visit to the grocery store, I found myself meandering down the candy aisle. Not something I usually do, but it’s nearly Easter, which means Easter candy! How could I resist?! I quickly locked eyes on a bright yellow bag of KitKats. Before you question my pick in candy, you must know – these weren’t just any KitKats. No, these were special. These were LEMON KitKats.

If you’re new here, I must inform you that my love of lemon desserts and treats has grown immensely over the years – thanks to my mom’s influence. (She loves all things lemon and makes the most delicious lemon bars – which inspired my Lemon Bar Cake). I used to pick chocolate without hesitation, but now, lemon flavored desserts have me thinking twice about my usual quick jump to chocolate or peanut butter (my other go-to). Sometimes the freshness and tartness of lemon really hits the spot.

And this cake does just that!

Lemon KitKat Cake

To recreate the Lemon KitKat candy bar in a cake, I made lemon cake layers, a lemon white chocolate buttercream, and a lemon white chocolate wafer cookie crunch filling.

The lemon cake is fluffy and moist, thanks to a combination of egg whites, lemon instant pudding mix, and a heaping one and a quarter cup buttermilk! I think the lemon instant pudding mix is a must, but if it’s something you can’t get your hands on, add an extra teaspoon of lemon emulsion and the zest of one lemon to the cake batter in place of it.

For the buttercream, we’re using my white chocolate buttercream and a bit of lemon emulsion (you can also use extract). This replicates the white chocolate coating on the outside of the KitKat bars and is an extremely delicious combination.

Wafer Cookie Crunch Filling

To mimic the crunch of the wafer from the KitKat bar, we’re taking some inspiration from Milk Bar and making a crunch filling. Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar, often takes elements like pretzels and potato chips, bakes them with butter, brown sugar, and milk powder, and then coats the clusters with white chocolate to give her cakes a layer of texture that doesn’t get soggy.

For the wafer cookie crunch, you’ll want to grab wafer cookies like Loacker lemon cream-filled wafer cookies. If you can’t find lemon flavored wafer cookies, you can absolutely use vanilla wafer cookies, like Voortman’s. With the vanilla wafer cookies, you’ll want to add the zest of a second lemon to the recipe below.

Once we bake the crushed wafer cookies with milk powder and butter, we get crunchy clusters that we’ll then coat with white chocolate. Once that white chocolate hardens, it ensures the clusters maintain their crunch.

One note about the filling – it’s highly munchable. Try to save a little for the cake

How to Make a Moist Cake from Scratch

Don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting moist cakes that rise well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. 
• Make sure to beat the butter, sugar, oil and eggs really well. The mixture should be smooth in texture and nearly doubled in volume when you’re done mixing. THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT!
• Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients. Not cold at all.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. REMEMBER: the cake continues to bake for a few minutes while it cools in the pan.

More Lemon Cakes to Love

The Most Delicious Lemon Bar Cake

The Best Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd and Lemon Buttercream

Strawberry Lemonade Cake with Sweet and Tart Lemon Curd Filling

Light and Fluffy Coconut Lemon Raspberry Cake

Print

Lemon KitKat Cake

Lemon cake layers with wafer cookie crunch and white chocolate lemon buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Kit Kat, Kit Kat Cake, KitKat, Lemon Cake, Lemon Kit Kat Cake, Lemon white chocolate buttercream

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 18

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 3/4 cup (169.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) instant lemon pudding mix
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup (300 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) lemon extract
• Yellow food coloring optional

FOR THE WAFER COOKIE CRUNCH FILLING

• 1 1/2 cups (75 g) milk powder, divided
• 8.8 ounces (250 g) lemon wafer cookies, crushed but not finely ground
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips, melted

FOR THE LEMON WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

• 6 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup (60 g) heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) lemon extract
• Pinch of salt
• Yellow food coloring, optional

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
• In another medium size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and pudding mix together on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg whites, one at a time, making sure to scrape downt he sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. Stir in the lemon emulsion.
• Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture gets smooth in texture and slightly bigger in volume.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Fold in food coloring, if using.
• Divide batter evenly among your pans, about 16 ounces of batter in each pan.
• Bake the cakes, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting them onto cooling racks to cool completely.

FOR THE WAFER COOKIE CRUNCH FILLING

• Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup of the milk powder, the wafer cookies, and lemon zest.
• Pour in the melted butter and stir the mixture until the wafer cookies are "wet."
• Spread the cookie clusters on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the baked cookie clusters and the additional ½ cup milk powder.
• Pour the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until the clusters are covered. Spread the clusters are parchment to dry.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a microwave safe bowl, combine the white chocolate and heavy cream. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the white chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually add the white chocolate ganache and mix until the mixture is smooth. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the lemon extract and salt. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
• Evenly spread about 1 cup of buttercream over the cake. Cover with the wafer cookie crunch. Pat the clusters into place.
• Place a second cake layer on the filling and repeat step 2.
• Place the third cake layer, top side down, on top of the second layer of filling. Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
• Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining buttercream. Top with more wafer cookie clusters.

Notes

*If you can’t find the lemon flavored wafer cookies, you can use vanilla wafer cookies. Add the zest of a second lemon to the recipe. 

**These cake layers bake about 1.25″ tall. If you want thicker cake layers, you can use two 8-inch pans or 1.5x the recipe. For both, the bake time will increase about 10 minutes.

The post Best Ever Lemon KitKat Cake with Lemon White Chocolate Buttercream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Best Ever Lemon KitKat Cake with Lemon White Chocolate Buttercream appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Inspiration

My Banana Cream Cake is inspired by the popular Magnolia Bakery banana cream pudding and stacked like my favorite Milk Bar cakes. If you’ve had Magnolia Bakery’s banana cream pie, you probably dream about it often like I do! It’s one of my favorite New York City treats. 

I first developed this recipe for my nephew’s birthday about five years ago. As I was coming up with the cake, and thinking about all the flavors and textures I wanted to add to it, I knew it needed to be stacked like a Milk Bar cake. (If you’re not familiar with Milk Bar, I highly recommend you check out their website and even buy their cookbook. There are so many amazing, unique recipes.)

There’s a couple reasons I choose to stack a cake Milk Bar style. The first being that it has a lot of elements in it (like my Tonight Show Cake) and the acetate paper will better support the cake. The second being that it has softer fillings that won’t hold up as well with a coat of frosting around them.

Layered in this cake: toasted graham cracker crumbs, salted caramel, and fresh whipped cream. Basically heaven in a cake. You can also add in fresh sliced bananas if you plan to serve the cake that same day. 

Oh, and one little note about serving this beauty – serve it cold, or things will get pretty messy when you’re cutting the cake.

Enjoy!

More Banana Cakes to Love

Banana Nutella S’mores Cake

To-Die-For Banana Peanut Butter Caramel Cake

Oreo Brownie Banana Caramel Trifle

Triple Chocolate Banana Cake

Print

Banana Cream Cake

Light and fluffy white cake layers with banana cream filling, salted caramel, graham cracker crumbs, and whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Banana Cream Cake

Ingredients

For the White Cake

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (172.5 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1/2 cup (120 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature

For the Banana Cream Filling

• 1.5 ounces instant banana pudding mix
• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (120 g) milk
• 1 1/2 cups (346.5 g) heavy whipping cream

For the Salted Caramel

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (59.15 g) water
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

For the Graham Cracker Crumble

• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 12 rectangular crackers*
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 (1.5 g) teaspoon salt

For the Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups (346.5 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon (5 g) E-Z Gel

Instructions

• Instructions

For the White Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a quarter sheet baking pan with nonstick spray, line it with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg whites one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Continue to beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, ⅓ of the dry ingredients, the second half of the buttermilk and then the final ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for about 20 to 30 seconds.
• Gently fold in the sour cream.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
• Remove the cake pans from the oven and let the layers cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Banana Cream Pudding

• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix, sweetened condensed milk and milk and mix until well blended.
• Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish, cover, and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
• When the mixture is set, you can prepare the whipping cream.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream until medium-stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to build the cake.

For the Salted Caramel

• Mix the sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, heat the cream in a microwave safe bowl for about a minute.
• Bring the sugar mixture to a boil, but DO NOT STIR! (Stirring encourages crystallization). Let the mixture cook until it turns to a golden brown/amber color. It happens quickly, so keep an eye on it. (Refer to page X to see the steps, color and temperature of caramel)
• Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and very slowly stir in the cream, pouring it in little by little, to temper the cream and sugar syrup.
• Once the cream is mixed in, add the salt and vanilla. Stir to combine and then set aside to cool to room temperature before using.

For the Graham Cracker Crust

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir until all the graham cracker crumbs are damped by the melted butter.
• Evenly spread the crumbs on the baking sheet, leaving some larger chunks in the mix.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before using.

For the Whipped Cream

• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, powdered sugar and EZ Gel.
• Whisk until medium-stiff peaks form.

Assembly

• Refer to page X in the Cake Class chapter for a step-by-step picture tutorial for stacking cakes like this. The cakes may be different flavors, but the assembly steps are similar.
• Put a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Invert the cake onto the parchment and peel off the parchment from the bottom of the cake.
• Use a 6-inch cake ring to cut out 2 circles from the cake and two half circles. The two full circles will be your top 2 cake layers. The two half cake layers and remaining cake scraps will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.
• For the first layer, clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment. Line the cake ring with one strip of acetate.
• Place the two half circles against the edge of the acetate and fill the gap with the extra cake scraps.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread one-third of the banana cream pudding in an even layer over the cake.
• Spread sliced bananas evenly over the pudding (if using).
• Sprinkle ½ cup of the graham cracker crumbs on top of the bananas, followed by a heavy drizzle of the salted caramel.
• Carefully spread about ½ cup of the whipping cream on top.
• Gently tuck in another strip of the acetate paper between the cake ring and the top quarter inch of the first acetate strip, high enough to support the height of the finished cake.
• Set a cake round on top of the whipped cream and repeat steps 6-9.
• Set the final cake layer onto the whipped cream and cover the top of the cake with the remaining banana cream pudding, graham cracker crumbs, caramel, and whipped cream.
• Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for at least 12 hours. About 4-5 hours before you’re ready to serve, remove the cake from the freezer and transfer to the refrigerator to finish thawing.
• Serve chilled.

The post Light and Fluffy Banana Cream Cake with Salted Caramel first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Light and Fluffy Banana Cream Cake with Salted Caramel appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Is it Springtime Yet?

This winter is proving to be a long one and even though spring is supposed to officially start in just a couple weeks, I’m doubtful it will really come. We’ve had so much snow and so many freezing cold days this winter. And just when you think it’s over with the arrival of blue skies and 55 degree weather, winter comes back with a vengeance. It hit hard again last week for a couple days and I couldn’t help but dream of springtime… and spring baking. Flavor combinations started flooding my head and the one that seemed most appropriate was a cake inspired by lemon bars.

Lemon Bars

Why lemon bars, you ask? Well, this past weekend was my mom’s 60th birthday and she’s a huge fan of lemon bars. She actually makes the most delicious lemon bars and I’ve been eager to get another lemon cake recipe on the blog for a while. It seemed like the perfect inspiration for a new cake.

Plus, a few months ago, my brothers, sister and I decided to surprise my mom with US for her birthday! Yup, the four of us together would be our big gift to her. But I didn’t want to show up empty handed, and we all know that every birthday needs a cake… so, it was the perfect time to try out this new recipe.

Lemon Bar Cake

This cake has all the makings of a lemon bar, but in cake form, of course. I started with a shortbread crust that you’ll bake on it’s own for about 8 minutes. I then added a lemon cake on top of the crust. This lemon cake is so divine and would be equally delicious without the crust if you wanted to just have a basic lemon cake.

I’ve filled the inside with a lemon curd and lemon buttercream.

I realize that sounds like a lot of lemon, but trust me, it all blends so beautifully that it doesn’t feel over powdering. Plus, the savory shortbread crust is the perfect contrast to the tartness and sweetness of the rest of the cake.

I was able to share this cake with friends and family and it’s been a hit all around!

Tips:

• Make the lemon curd a few days in advance.
• Make sure not to put too much curd in between the layers so it doesn’t lose stability. Instead, use only about ¼ to ⅓ cup curd in the cake and serve extra on the side of each slice.
• Make sure to use a sharp knife to cut the cake.

Enjoy!

The post The Most Delicious Lemon Bar Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Most Delicious Lemon Bar Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

There’s nothing like a spring cake at a party or get-together to really commemorate your time together! Of course, it’s wonderful to spend time with your loved ones, but cake just makes it that much better. Whether you have birthday parties coming up, family reunions, or celebrating the spring holidays any of these 5 light and fluffy cakes for any spring occasion will be the perfect addition! 

I put together a similar list of the best spring cakes from scratch HERE, but I had to make this second list because there are just too many cakes I want to talk about! And it’s exciting to finally have the sun shining a bit brighter and the weather warming up, so let’s just make more cake to maximize all the goodness! 

Spring Light Cake #1: Lemon Oreo Cake

The first spring cake I want to showcase is my Lemon Oreo Cake. This cake includes tender lemon Oreo cake layers, lemon Oreo cream cheese filling, and lemon buttercream. Is your mouth watering yet? You are going to fall in love with the whipped cream cheese filling especially! It is the perfect match to the lemon Oreos–or really any Oreo cookie!

Spring Light Cake #2: Strawberry Shortcake Cake

My Strawberry Shortcake Cake has tender and light vanilla cake layers, whipped cream filling, fresh strawberries, and strawberry buttercream. I think you’ll love this elevated recipe–even with the untraditional strawberry buttercream! This entire cake is pretty simple to make and a good recipe to try if you’re wanting to achieve that light texture and taste in a cake.

Spring Light Cake #3: Pink Velvet Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

This Pink Velvet Cake with Raspberry Buttercream would be a fun cake for a girls’ night, bridal, or baby shower! It comprises tender pink velvet cake layers, raspberry buttercream, and fresh raspberries. After a successful red velvet cake, I wanted to create another velvet cake, but with a twist. And that’s when this beautiful pink velvet cake was born. I use my vanilla cake as the base and add a few drops of pink food gel to get the perfect velvety pink color!

Spring Light Cake #4: Macadamia Nut Cream Cake

I had to include my Macadamia Nut Cream Cake on this list while the nuts are still in season! This cake is inspired by one of the tastiest treats I’ve ever sunk my teeth into–the macadamia cream-filled donut from Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu. If you’re ever there, you must go try it! So, to remember this amazing dessert, I created this cake. The macadamia nut cream is definitely the star of the show! 

Spring Light Cake #5: Lemon KitKat Cake with Lemon White Chocolate Buttercream

My Lemon KitKat Cake with Lemon White Chocolate Buttercream is one of my newest recipes! And yes, the inspiration comes from the Lemon KitKat candy bars. When I was making this cake in the kitchen I had my kids taste test it and my son Westin immediately said he wanted this for his birthday cake! And his birthday cakes are a big deal around here, so that should tell you how amazing this cake tastes! It has a lemon white chocolate wafer cookie crunch filling that you’ll fall in love with more and more with every bite. 

5 Light and Fluffy Cakes for Any Spring Occasion

Alright, those are my 5 light and fluffy cakes for any spring occasion! I know these cakes will be the highlight for any of your parties. I can’t wait for everyone to enjoy them just like my loved ones and I have. Happy spring and happy baking! Also, follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney so you can keep getting the best tips and recipes on all things cake!

The post 5 Light and Fluffy Cakes for Any Spring Occasion first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post 5 Light and Fluffy Cakes for Any Spring Occasion appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake

This isn’t just any ol’ blackberry and lime cake! This Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake is something real special thanks to the blackberry lime compote and whipped cream filling. When you take your first bite, I know you’ll agree that adding a couple extra elements like these to the cake definitely give it that Italian soda vibe and take this cake to the next level!

We have my friend Abi Ayres to thank for the idea. A few weeks ago she posted a recipe for a blackberry lime Italian soda that made my mouth water! The flavors sounded amazing and you know I loved the idea of turning this springtime drink into a cake!

Blackberry Lime Cake

I love how light and fluffy these cake layers are. You’ll get a hint of lime from the lime zest, but it’s the texture I know you’ll love. It’s a tender and delicate crumb, that creates the perfect base for the more powerful blackberry lime compote and buttercream.

For the cake layers, you’ll want to have the following ingredients on-hand:

• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Limes
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk

How to Make a Moist Cake from Scratch

Don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting moist cakes that rise well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. 
• Make sure to beat the butter, sugar, oil and eggs really well. The mixture should be smooth in texture and nearly doubled in volume when you’re done mixing. THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT!
• Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients. Not cold at all.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. REMEMBER: the cake continues to bake for a few minutes while it cools in the pan.

How to Make Blackberry Lime Compote

The blackberry lime compote is super simple. You’ll be using fresh or frozen blackberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lime zest. The goal is to simmer the mixture long enough that it thickens. You’ll know you’re at a good spot when the mixture coats a spoon well.

Can I make this ahead of time?

For sure! I actually prefer to make this ahead of time so the compote can cool and thicken a tad more.

How to Make the Best Buttercream Frosting

To get a light and fluffy homemade buttercream frosting, make sure you follow my tips over at: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

These steps are written up for my vanilla buttercream, but are supposed to be applied to any of my buttercream recipes.

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter – to soften the butter, turn your mixer to medium-high and beat the butter on it’s own for a few minutes
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step.

How to Stabilize Whipped Cream to Fill a Cake

My favorite way to stabilize whipped cream is to add a tablespoon of E-Z Gel to the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla as I start beating the mixture. It is SO easy!

You can also use gelatin, but just know it’s a little trickier to master. Liz Marek from Sugar Geek Show has a great video tutorial if you want to go this route.

Is this whipped cream stable enough to hold cake layers?

Yes, this buttercream is stable enough to use between cake layers. I still pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake to ensure stability.

Can I decorate the cake with whipped cream?

I wouldn’t recommend it. It definitely won’t be as smooth and easy to work with as buttercream.

Other Fruit-Filled Cakes You’ll Love

• Peach Crisp Cake
• Lemon Pistachio Cake
• Strawberry Lemonade Cake
• Lemon Bar Cake
• Blueberry Delight Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

More Lime-Inspired Cakes to Try

• Moist and Delicious Mojito Cake
• 3 Delicious Ways to Use Lime Curd
• Top 3 Cakes Using Lime Curd
• The Perfect Coconut Key Lime Pie Cake
• How to Make an Easy Fruit Compote

Print

Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake

Light and fluffy lime cake layers with whipped cream filling, blackberry lime compote and blackberry lime buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword blackberry, blackberry buttercream, lime, vanilla, Vanilla CAke

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 48 minutes

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) baking powder
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

FOR THE COMPOTE

• 3 cups (360 g) blackberries
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (8.12 g) cornstarch sifted
• zest of one lime

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1/2 cup (115 g) strained blackberry compote, to remove any seeds
• 3 tablespoons (43.3 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

For the Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon E-Z Gel

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, then spray the pans again.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, lime zest, and salt into a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Gradually add the egg whites, making sure to mix well between each addition, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go along. Once all of the egg whites are added, mix for an additional 3 minutes, until the mixture is lighter in color and smooth in texture. You'll also notice the volume increases.
• While the butter, sugar, and eggs mix, stir together the buttermilk and lime juice.
• Turn the mixer to low speed. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir just until combined.
• Divide the pans evenly between the three cake pans, about 16 ounces in each pan. Bake the layers for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
• Allow layers to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes before inverting them onto cooling racks to cool completely.

  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use. If you need to level the cake layers, be sure to do that BEFORE you freeze them.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• Combine the blackberries, lime zest, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture while bringing it to a boil and occasionally breaking up the berries to release their juices.
• Add the cornstarch.
• Let simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture is reduced by half. (We're trying to reduce the amount of water and thicken the mixture.)
• If needed, to remove any larger pieces of blackberries, you can puree the compote in a food processor or blender. Just be sure to let it cool a bit before you do.
• Strain ½ cup of the mixture and reserve for frosting. Refrigerate the strained blackberry mixture and the remaining compote for at least 4 hours before using. 

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the strained blackberry compote, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.
• Continue to beat the frosting on medium-high speed for an additional 5 minutes.    
• Before frosting your cake, mix the frosting by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets. This will also help the frosting pull back together if it looks separated from adding the blackberry juices.

For the Whipped Cream

• Combine the heavy whipping cream, E-Z Gel, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a chilled stainless steel bowl. Beat the mixture with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks are formed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a dollop of frosting on a cake board or cake plate to hold the first cake layer in place.
• Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the cake board and pipe a rim of blackberry frosting around the edges to act as a barrier to the compote. Spread half of the whipped cream over the cake layer, followed by about ⅓ cup of the blackberry compote.
• Top with the next cake layer and repeat step 2.
• Place the final cake layer top side down. Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• Continue frosting your cake, making sure to stir the buttercream with a wooden spoon to push out any air pockets.

The post Light and Fluffy Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Light and Fluffy Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Spring is on its way and St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! I’ve got 5 simple and fun rainbow cake recipes you and your family will love as you celebrate the new season and holiday! These cakes are super family and kid-friendly, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these became one of your new go-to recipes for birthday cakes or a similar celebration! 

I have a lot of fun creating rainbow-inspired cakes because it’s exciting to figure out different ways to incorporate the rainbow into or onto the cake. There are so many different ways to do it and the colors together always create such a beautiful cake! I can’t wait to see your take on these cakes and which one ends up being your favorite. 

Rainbow Cake Recipe #1: Rainbow Tutorial

My first rainbow cake recipe can actually have any cake flavor you prefer (green velvet would be a fun festive choice!) and then I used vanilla buttercream to cover it! I added some food coloring to make the different colors, then piped them onto saran wrap, carefully folded them, and placed them into the piping bag to prep them for piping the rainbows on the side of the cake. My original post HERE has step-by-step instructions on how to do this! 

Rainbow Cake Recipe #2: Rainbow Sherbet

My Rainbow Sherbet Cake comprises tender yellow cake layers, raspberry lime curd, and orange buttercream. I created this new recipe on a whim with my son Westin years ago when I had some leftover yellow cake layers. We raided the pantry to see what would be good together and we settled on the raspberry lime and orange flavors. As soon as I took the first bite it took me back to my childhood days when I would get rainbow sherbet ice cream at Baskin Robbins! 

Rainbow Cake Recipe #3: Green Velvet

This Green Velvet Rainbow Cake is a great choice if you’re wanting to impress your kids! I included a fun surprise on the inside of the cake and it was so fun to see my kids’ eyes glued to the cake as I cut the first slice and then see their reaction once they saw the surprise. I hid some gold coins in the middle, so it’s like the gold treasure at the end of the rainbow! Such a fun cake to make and definitely to share with my kids. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!

Rainbow Cake Recipe #4: Confetti (Funfetti) Cake

Funfetti has been a popular cake choice for generations and I can totally see why! It’s filled with such fun colors and tastes amazing. My version of Funfetti Cake is made up of light and fluffy vanilla cake layers, lots of sprinkles, and a whipped vanilla buttercream frosting. I’ve made some updates to this recipe that ensures super moist cake layers and an emphasis on the vanilla flavor. I know you’ll really love this one! 

Rainbow Cake Recipe #5: Cake Batter Buttercream with Rainbow Sprinkles

I call this rainbow cake the Inside-Out Birthday Cake. It is made with my classic chocolate cake recipe (that is to die for) and filled with chocolate chip cookie dough. Then, I cover it in the most delicious cake batter buttercream and finish it off with as many rainbow sprinkles as possible. This rainbow cake recipe would be such a fun and simple one to make and the flavor will have you smiling from ear to ear!

5 Simple and Fun Rainbow Cake Recipes

Which one of these 5 simple and fun rainbow cake recipes will you be trying first? There’s nothing like a rainbow cake to get you in the festive mood for St. Patrick’s Day or even just for spring! If you love these recipes and want to know more, follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney! You will get the best tips and tricks on all things cake! 

The post 5 Simple and Fun Rainbow Cake Recipes first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post 5 Simple and Fun Rainbow Cake Recipes appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Lemon Pistachio Cake

I’m so excited for you to try this cake! I haven’t stopped thinking about it since my first bite of scraps. And we can all thank my mom for the idea for this cake. She called me a couple weeks ago raving about lemon gelato paired with pistachio gelato and said, “you just have to put these flavors into a cake!”

Of course, as the obedient child that I am, I did just that!

What’s In Lemon Pistachio Cake?

To be honest, this cake isn’t the fastest to whip up. There are four different elements in this cake, but each one makes the cake that much more special and memorable.

• Lemon pistachio cake layers – the cake layers are tender and flavorful, thanks to finely ground pistachios, lemon zest, and lemon juice. These layers also have a full cup of buttermilk in them to help create and retain moisture.
• Lemon curd – this thin layer of lemon curd adds just the right pop of tartness to the cake.
• Pistachio cream filling – the pistachio cream filling is made by making a pistachio paste, adding the paste to a white chocolate ganache to create a mousse, and then adding the mousse to freshly whipped cream.
• Lemon pistachio cream cheese buttercream – to top this cake off, I’ve paired my cream cheese buttercream with a hint of lemon and very, very finely ground pistachios for a frosting that not only enhances the flavors, but also provides great balance to the cake.

Can I simplify this cake?

Yes! You can absolutely simplify this four-layer lemon pistachio cake. The cake layers and buttercream are filled with pistachio and lemon, so if you don’t have a lot of time or you simply don’t want the extra work – you can easily skip the fillings and still create a delicious cake!

Can I make this cake as a 9-inch by 13-inch sheet pan cake?

For sure! In fact, you can turn any of my cakes into 9-inch by 13-inch cakes, or even bundt cakes and cupcakes. The only thing that really changes is the bake time:

• 9″ x 13″ – you’ll generally increase the bake time by about 10 to 15 minutes
• Bundt pan – a bundt cake bakes almost twice as long as the layers. Plan for 50 to 60 minutes, in most cases
• Cupcakes – for cupcakes, you’ll want to decrease the bake by 5 to 10 minutes

Remember, each recipe is a little different, so bake times will vary. The best way to know your cake is done is to insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. When you take that toothpick out, it should have a few moist crumbs on it.

How to Make Lemon Curd

If you haven’t made homemade lemon curd before, you’re in for a treat! Not only is it incredibly delicious, it’s actually quite easy to make. I have detailed instructions in my cookbook, as well as on my blog post for my Lemon Bar Cake.

Tips for the lemon curd:

• Make the lemon curd a few days in advance.
• DO NOT put too much curd in between the layers so it doesn’t lose stability. Instead, use only about ¼ to ⅓ cup curd in the cake and serve extra on the side of each slice.

Other Cake Recipes You’ll Love

• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Strawberry Lemonade Cake
• Lemon Oreo Cake
• Coconut Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cake with a Hint of Lime

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Lemon Pistachio Cake

Lemon pistachio cake layers with lemon curd filling, pistachio cream filling, and lemon pistachio cream cheese buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Advanced, Lemon, Lemon curd, Lemon Pistachio, Lemon Pistachio Cake, Pistachio, Pistachio Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE PISTACHIO LEMON CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 3/4 cup (115 g) finely ground pistachios
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) baking powder
• 1 tablespoon (9 g) lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon (4.5 g) grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 to 2 large lemons
• 1 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons (28.25 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the Pistachio Cream Filling

• 1 cup (150 g) shelled unsalted pistachios
• 3/4 cup (180 g) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (28.25 g) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon (12.50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream

FOR THE PISTACHIO LEMON CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM

• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1/4 cup (40 g) finely ground pistachios, this takes about ½ cup ground up pistachios that have been sifted through a mesh sieve.
• 2 tablespoons (16.2 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tablespoon (4.5 g) lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch. However, because it is a cream cheese buttercream, I don’t recommend using it for piping.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, pistachios, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the texture is lighter in color and smooth in texture.
• With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the egg whites. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. When all of the egg whites are added, turn your mixer to medium-high speed and beat the batter for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. At this point, the texture should be smooth and the mixture should have nearly doubled in volume.
• As the batter mixes, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.
• With the mixer on low speed on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the batter has been incorporated. Stir for an additional 30 seconds.
• Divide batter evenly in the two pans, about 25 to 26 ounces of batter in each 8-inch pan.
• Bake the cakes until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs inserted into the center, about 35 minutes. Let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting them onto cooling racks to cool completely.
• Once the layers are cooled completely, carefully divide the cake layers in half horizontally, creating two thin layers from each cake.

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it’s thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

For the Pistachio Cream Filling

• In a medium size saucepan, heat about 2 cups of water to a soft boil and add the shelled pistachios. Boil the pistachios for about 3 minutes, drain the pistachios and spread on a clean kitchen towel.
• Fold the towel over and rub the pistachios in the towel to loosen the skins. Discard as much of the skins as you can. I know it’s tedious, so it doesn’t have to be perfect.
• Combine the pistachios, ¼ cup of the milk and the sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients create a smooth paste.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk, butter and white chocolate chips. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.
• In a high powdered blender, combine the pistachio paste and white chocolate mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you need to adjust the consistency, you can add a couple splashes of milk.
• Let the pistachio mousse reach room temperature before folding in the heavy whipping cream.
• For the heavy whipping cream: In a stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the pistachio mousse.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese for about one minute.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, followed by the pistachios, lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy whipping cream and pinch of salt.
• Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix the frosting by hand with a wooden spoon to push out any air bubbles.

For the Assembly

• Reminder, each of the two 8-inch cake layers should be divided in half, horizontally, giving you FOUR thin cake layers.
• Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of a cake board or cake stand.
• Spread about 1 cup of the pistachio cream filling over the cake layer, making sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure the filling is spread evenly.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the cream filling. Spread about ½ cup of the buttercream over the cake. Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Fill the center with about 1/4-⅓ cup lemon curd, reserving leftover curd to use on top of the cake or to serve with each slice of cake.
• Place the third cake layer on top of the lemon curd and spread another cup of pistachio cream filling over the cake.
• Top with the final cake layer, top side down.
• Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake to create a crumb coat. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat and lock the crumbs in place.
• Continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream and top with pistachios, lemons, and/or extra lemon curd.

The post Lemon Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Cream Filling first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Lemon Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Cream Filling appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Springtime is on its way whether the weather is showing it or not! I hope all of my spring cake baking will help the sun come out and warm things up a bit! In an effort to give spring a warm welcome this year, I put together my personal favorites of the best spring cake recipes from scratch. These cakes include such fun flavors and textures that I know you’ll enjoy making and tasting them!

This list showcases the fruit that is in season for spring. It includes a nice mix of flavors, so I’m sure there will be a certain one that speaks to you! I can’t wait to find out which ones you love and how they turn out! And just a quick reminder when using any of these cake recipes, it always helps to make certain elements a day or two in advance, so you’re not having to make every single element in one sitting. Happy baking!

Spring Cake Recipe #1: Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake

Throwing in the Italian soda twist on this cake really took it to the next level! My Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake is made up of light and fluffy cake layers, sweet and tart blackberry lime compote, fresh whipped cream, and finished off with silky smooth blackberry buttercream. This cake is inspired by one of the best springtime drinks, so now you can enjoy it in cake form! I bet it’ll leave your mouth watering after the first bite as it did for me! 

Spring Cake Recipe #2: Hummingbird Cake

Have you ever heard of or tried Hummingbird cake before? It’s a traditional southern dessert that’s filled with bananas, crushed pineapple, cream cheese, and pecans. I put my own twist on this Hummingbird Cake and I am so proud of it! While I stayed pretty true to the roots of this traditional recipe, I toasted and candied my pecans and put them around the outside of the cake rather than putting them in between the cake layers. I think you’ll enjoy this new take on Hummingbird Cake!

Spring Cake Recipe #3: Apple Almond Caramel Cake

One of the best times of the year to enjoy apples is in the spring, so of course I had to include one of my apple-flavored cakes on this list! This Apple Almond Caramel Cake is made up of apple spice cake layers with almond white chocolate frosting, salted caramel, and candied almonds. This cake is the best of all the worlds! It has a sweet and salty flavor AND a smooth and crunchy texture. I can’t wait for you to try this one and find out how you like it! 

Spring Cake Recipe #4: Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake

This Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake is a must-try for your spring cakes! I’ve made quite a few updates to this cake recipe as I’ve continued to learn and grow over the years in my cake-baking experience. One of the main things I’ve changed is a couple of tricks to help keep the cake moist since it doesn’t call for egg yolks! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how this cake turns out for you!

Spring Cake Recipe #5: Chocolate Cherry Pie Cake

Cherry is such a classic flavor for dessert, so when I thought of my Chocolate Cherry Pie Cake creation, I was so excited! I combined a Black Forest Cake recipe with a Cherry Pie recipe and got this beautiful cake! It has such an explosion of flavors from the tartness you get with the cherry pie filling, the saltiness from the pie crumbs, and the sweetness from the chocolate and frosting. I think you’ll really enjoy this one! (Just makes sure to have some acetate paper on hand to help you create this naked look.) 

Best Spring Cake Recipes from Scratch

Which one of these best spring cake recipes from scratch are you going to try first? I can’t wait to hear how your experience goes. Let me know on Instagram! I love when my people tag me in their stories after using one of my recipes! You can find me @cakebycourtney and make sure to give me a follow so you can keep getting the best tips and tricks on all things cake! 

The post Best Spring Cake Recipes from Scratch first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

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Where Did This Cake Idea Come From?

I know what you’re thinking: where did this cake idea come from?! Like many of my cakes, it came from an unlikely place – an appetizer! A few weeks ago we were with some friends at HSL in Salt Lake, one of our favorite restaurants. Instead of ordering individual meals, we ordered several appetizers and desserts. One of the appetizers was sourdough toast with mixed berry ricotta, mixed berry compote and candied hazelnuts. I about died over the mixed berry compote! That on top of sourdough toast with the hazelnuts was just next level. We all loved it so much, we ordered a second!

After a single bite, I was already figuring out how to put these flavors into a cake.

Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake

• Ricotta cake layers – the cake layers are based off my Olive Oil Ricotta Cake, which is a tender and incredibly moist cake. You’ll notice, it’s a heavier cake than a light and fluffy vanilla cake, and that’s thanks to the two cups of ricotta. No worries, though, it’s not dense and doesn’t have a tight crumb at all. Certainly not like a pound cake, just more of a heavier cake than others you may be used to.
• Ricotta filling – for the ricotta filling, I made homemade ricotta (super easy) and added some of the mixed berry compote. You’ll find the same ricotta recipe in my Ricotta Beet Cake and my Blueberry Delight Cake. I love how the tangy cheese flavor pairs with the other flavors in this cake.

• Mixed berry compote – the mixed berry compote is easy to make and so yummy. You can use fresh or frozen berries. Note: if you use frozen berries, you will use half the amount of water called for.
• Toasted candied hazelnuts – you know how I love a crunch in my cake! These toasted candied hazelnuts are the perfect addition to the creamy textures of the filling and buttercream.
• Hazelnut buttercream – for the buttercream, we’re adding a hazelnut paste for a beautiful, smooth flavor and texture. Be sure to read below about substitutes.

Hazelnut Buttercream

For the hazelnut buttercream, I’m adding a store-bought hazelnut paste. Hazelnut paste is very much a nut butter made of hazelnuts. If you can’t find hazelnut paste or don’t want to buy it, let’s talk about some alternatives.

What can I use in place of hazelnut paste?

HOMEMADE HAZELNUT BUTTER: In place of store-bought hazelnut paste, you can make your own hazelnut butter. To do this, you’ll start with about 2 cups of skinned hazelnuts. Using a food processor, blend the nuts until a paste forms. You may need to add a teaspoon or two of olive oil to help the process along.

Note: using a homemade hazelnut butter will result in a slightly more textured buttercream. It won’t look as smooth as mine, but will taste amazing.

HAZELNUT EXTRACT: If the nut butter and paste aren’t an option for you, another alternative is hazelnut extract or emulsion. I love the Lorann Oils Emulsions. Add one teaspoon of the extract or emulsion to your buttercream, give it a taste and add one or two more teaspoons depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.

In my opinion, the hazelnut paste is the ideal option, but if you have to make a sub, you’ll be a-okay!

Helpful Baking Tips:

• Preheat oven 30 minutes before baking.
• Use room temperature ingredients.
• Spray your pan. Line with parchment paper.
• In the cake batter recipe, beat the oil, sugar, and eggs on high for a few minutes to get a smooth texture.
• Turn mixer to LOW once you add dry ingredients.
• Don’t over bake your cake layer. When you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake it should come out with a few moist crumbs on it.

How to Assembly This Cake

For a quick look at how to assemble this cake, check out my REEL.

For details about piping, check out this REEL.

More Berry Filled Cakes You’ll Love

• Blueberry Delight Cake
• Blueberry Cobbler Cake
• Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake
• Chocolate Blackberry Cake
• Raspberry Pretzel Cake

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Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake

Ricotta cake layers with berry ricotta filling, mixed berry compote, toasted hazelnuts and hazelnut buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake, Hazelnut, Hazelnut Buttercream, Mixed Berry Compote, Ricotta, Ricotta Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (218 g) olive oil, can also use vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon zest, from one large lemon
• 2 cups (480 g) ricotta cheese, homemade or store bought – at room temperature

FOR THE RICOTTA/FILLING

• 2 cups (480 g )whole milk
• 3/4 cup (173 g) heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
• 1/2 tbsp (21.5 g) white vinegar
• *this makes enough for the filling if you also want homemade ricotta in the cake layers, double this recipe.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• 2 cups (260 g) fresh or frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (118 g) water, half this amount if using frozen berries
• 2 tbsp (18 g) corn starch, sifted

FOR THE TOASTED Hazelnuts

• 2 cups (260 g) chopped hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1/2 cup hazelnut paste, I use this PASTE or you can 1-2 teaspoons hazelnut extract, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.
• 3 tbsp. (43.3 g) heavy whipping cream
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ¼ – ½ batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Cream the olive oil and the sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for one minute. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix for an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the ricotta, starting and finishing with the flour. Combine until incorporated.
• Evenly distribute the batter among the three cake pans (about 16 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Let cool in pans 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator overnight or freezer for longer.

FOR THE RICOTTA/FILLING

• FOR THE RICOTTA (best to make ahead of time): Combine the whole milk, cream and salt in a large pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil, while stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• Once the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, turn the heat off and add the vinegar. Give the mixture a stir and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. You’ll see the mixture start to separate into thick parts and thin parts.
• Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and then place a damp cheese cloth over the mesh strainer. Pour the milk mixture over the cheese cloth. Let the mixture strain for about an hour. Discard the liquid in the bowl and pour the ricotta in a bowl to chill until ready to use. Can be made ahead of time and store in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
• FOR THE FILLING: Combine the chilled ricotta with about ½ cup of the berry compote. You can use more, if desired.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the berries to burst and the liquid to thicken. It should coat your spoon well. Turn heat off and all to cool slightly. Puree in blender or food processor. Strain out the seeds.
• This is best made ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

FOR THE CANDIED HAZELNUTS

• Add the sugar to the chopped hazelnuts in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and is coating the hazelnuts. Pour the sugared hazelnuts over parchment paper to cool and use for the filling.

FOR THE HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. This helps to soften the butter without the butter getting too warm by sitting on the counter half the day.
• Add the hazelnut paste. Mix on medium-high speed until well blended, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Before spreading on your cake, spend a couple minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake plate. Using a piping bag, pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Fill the cake with ½ to ¾ cup berry ricotta filling, followed by ⅓ cup berry compote. Sprinkle on a handful of the hazelnuts.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat step two.
• Place the final cake layer on top and apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire. Freeze the cake for about 10 minutes to set crumb coat.
• Finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.

The post Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Blueberry Cobbler Cake

What is it about cobblers and crisps that immediately make me think of summer? Am I the only one, or are these classic summer desserts something you think about as soon as June 1st hits? For some, it might be the memories of camping and making a cobbler or crisp in the dutch oven. For me, it’s the memory of my mom baking in the kitchen on summer Sunday nights.

Growing up, we always had a big family dinner on Sunday. My dad would grill some sort of meat, my mom would make some sides and whip up a delicious, but easy dessert (she did have four kids to wrangle up, after all). Blueberry cobbler and peach crisp were two of mom’s go-to Sunday summer desserts — served fresh out of the oven with a scoop

A few years ago, I turned mom’s Peach Crisp into my Peach Crisp Cake. Today, I’ve turned her Blueberry Cobbler into my Blueberry Cobbler Cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need For Blueberry Cobbler Cake

In addition to the common baking ingredients you’re used to (i.e. cake flour, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, etc.), make sure you have the following:

• Blueberry emulsion
• Blueberries
• Vanilla bean paste
• Buttermilk
• Heavy whipping cream

How to Make the Best Cake Layers

Don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting your cakes to rise and bake well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. 
• Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

NOTE: These cake layers rise to about 1-1.25″ high. If you want thicker cake layers, I suggest adding an extra half-batch to the recipe.

How to Make Buttercream Frosting

To get a light and fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting, make sure you follow my tips over at HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step.

How to Cake It

Before you start stacking your cake, make sure you’ve chilled your layers for at least an hour in the freezer. I find that freezing my layers to chill them a little makes it easier to stack and frost my cakes. When you’re ready to stack and decorate, just make sure the layers aren’t totally frozen (otherwise your buttercream will harden too quickly as you apply it to the cake).

Assembly Instructions

• Place first cake layer, top side up, in the center of your cake board or cake plate. 
• Spread about ½ cup of buttercream evenly over the cake.
• Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Spread about ½ cup of the blueberry compote over the cake. 
• Sprinkle about ½ cup of the crumble over the blueberry compote. Pat into place.
• Place second cake layer on top of fillings and repeat these steps.
• Place final cake layer on top and cover with a thin coat of buttercream. 
• Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat. 
• Finish frosting the cake after the crumb coat is set with the remaining buttercream.

Best Blueberry Cakes

Looking for other blueberry cakes? I’ve got you covered!

• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Blueberry Delight Cake
• Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake
  

Best Summer Cakes

Other summer cakes I think you’ll love:

• Strawberry Pretzel Delight Cake
• Pina Colada Cake
• Root Beer Float Cake
• Orange Almond Poppy Seed Cake
• Mojito Cake

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Blueberry Cobbler Cake

Blueberry cake layers with vanilla buttercream, blueberry compote, and cobbler crunch filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword blueberry cake, blueberry cobbler, blueberry cobbler cake, blueberry dessert, Intermediate, Vanilla Buttercream

Prep Time 1 hour

Servings 1 3-layer, 8-inch cake

Ingredients

FOR THE BLUEBERRY CAKE

• 2 cups (200 g) blueberries fresh or frozen
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (366.5 g) cake flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (16 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (4.2 g) salt
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg at room temperature
• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) blueberry emulsion

FOR THE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

• 2 cups (200 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (118 g) water
• 2 tablespoons (18 g) corn starch sifted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 4 tablespoons (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla bean paste
• Pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

For the Crumble

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (27.5 g) packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (86.25) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) cinnamon
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

FOR THE BLUEBERRY CAKE

• HEAT THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside. 
• MAKE THE PUREE: In a medium saucepan, cook the blueberries over medium-low heat until the berries soften. Transfer berries to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Should make 1 cup puree. Set aside.
• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high for about 2 to 3 minutes, until lighter in color.
• With the mixer in medium speed, add the egg whites and egg, one at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. Once all of the eggs are added, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Stir in the vanilla extract and blueberry emulsion.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients with the blueberry puree in three additions, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients.
• NOTE: I left my batter naturally colored by the emulsion and puree. For more of a purple or blue, use a drop of food coloring.
• BAKE THE CAKE: Evenly divide the batter between the three pans (about 15 ounces of batter in each) and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
• Let the cake layers cool on racks for 10 minutes before inverting onto greased wire racks to cool completely.
• Wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap and chill in freezer for at least an hour before using. The cake layers can be stored for up to a few days wrapped once in plastic wrap and frozen. To store longer than a few days, wrap twice in plastic wrap, then in foil, and seal in a zip-lock bag.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a soft boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the blueberries to burst and the liquid to thicken. It should coat your spoon well.
• This is best made a day or two ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• BEAT THE BUTTER: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes.
• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: With the mixer on low, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.
• With mixer on medium speed, add whipping cream, vanilla bean and salt.
• Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The buttercream will become lighter in color and texture.
• Before spreading on your cake, spend a couple minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets. 

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• HEAT YOUR OVEN: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: Combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
• Add the oil and the vanilla and beat on low until the dry ingredients are "wet."
• Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to clump some of the pieces together to make larger chunks.
• BAKE THE CRUMBS: Bake the crumbs for about 15 minutes and then let cool completely before using.

ASSEMBLY

• STACK THE LAYERS: Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of a cake board or cake plate.
• Evenly ½ cup of buttercream over the cake layer and then pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Gently spread about ½ cup of the blueberry compote over the buttercream.
• Sprinkle about ½ cup of the crumble over the blueberry compote and pat into place.
• Repeat these step until you get to the final cake layer, which you will lay top side down.
• Apply a thin coat of buttercream around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
• After the crumb coat is set, continue frosting and decorating the cake.

The post Flavor-Bursting Blueberry Cobbler Cake with Crumble Filling first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Flavor-Bursting Blueberry Cobbler Cake with Crumble Filling appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is one of my favorite cakes on the blog. I’ve made it as a layered cake and used it as the base of my Orange Poppy Seed Cake and my Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake. Now, it’s a bundt!

I shared a video on my IGTV with the tutorial and recipe but didn’t get a chance to write the blog post with all the details until now.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

The recipe for this bundt cake is simply my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, but with a glaze instead of buttercream. I know many of you have already fallen in love with this cake recipe from the layered version, so I know you’ll absolutely die over this bundt cake version, as well.

And if you haven’t tried this cake or even a layered cake yet, I think you’ll find that this bundt cake is not only delicious but super easy too!

The recipe for this Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake is the exact same as the layered cake, but the time and temperature we are baking the bundt cake are different. When we combine the wet and dry ingredients it will be a lot! Because we have too much batter in one pan, we have to bake at a lower temperature for a longer time so we get a more even bake on this cake. This is a rich and dense cake that tastes divine!

How to Make Sure Your Cake Doesn’t Stick to Your Bundt Pan

The key to making sure your Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt cake doesn’t stick to the pan is twofold:

• Make sure to spray your pan with nonstick spray and dust it with flour.
• Allow your cake to cool completely for at least 30 to 60 minutes before you invert it onto a wire rack.

Lemon Butter Glaze

The glaze is super simple, but don’t let that fool you! This glaze is what makes the cake, in my opinion. You’ll simply combine melted butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. That’s it!

You’ll see in the picture above that I’ve placed my Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake on a cooling rack on top of a jelly roll pan. I did this so that I could coat my bundt cake with the lemon butter glaze several times. After the first glaze, scoop the leftover glaze back into your bowl and pour it over the cake again. I did this about four times. I then placed my cake on a cake stand with a rim and poured the glaze over the cake one more time. This will then allow the cake to soak up the glaze from the bottom, as well. This is the bundt pan I use. A fun thing I learned- a bundt pan is a type of tube pan! A tube pan is perfect for pound-style or butter cakes.

Alright, you’re all set to whip up this delicious and easy bundt cake.

Enjoy!

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Light and Fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Updated
• Summertime Orange Almond Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Buttercream
• 5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch
• Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake
• Florida Orange Flower Cake

Print

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Tender and moist lemon poppy seed cake with a lemon butter glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Bundt Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed, Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 6 egg whites at room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream at room temperature
• 1 cup (230 g) lemon juice
• zest of one large lemon
• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 1 tbsp (10 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5 g) salt
• 3 tbsp (27 g) poppy seeds soak in water for an hour before making the cake

FOR THE GLAZE

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 cup (120 g) lemon juice
• 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray your bundt pan (I use this one) with nonstick spray, coat with flour and set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the egg whites, in three additions, making sure to mix well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the sour cream and mix.
• With the mixer on low speed alternately add the flour mixture and the lemon juice to the butter mixture, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Mix until combined.
• Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
• Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for at least 30 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Trying to remove the cake from the pan too quickly is usually what causes the cake to stick and fall apart. I left my cake in the pan for an hour before flipping it.

FOR THE GLAZE

• Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the bundt cake on a cooling rack that is set on top of a cooking tray. Pour the glaze over the cake. Once you've used all the glaze, scoop the leftover glaze on the cookie sheet, back into a cup to pour over the cake again. You'll repeat this 3 to 4 times.
• After you've coated the cake 3 to 4 times, place your bundt cake on a cake stand with a rim. Pour the glaze over the cake one more time. Now the cake will soak in the glaze a bit before serving.

The post Moist and Delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Moist and Delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Peach Crisp Cake

My Peach Crisp Cake with cinnamon oat crumble has been on the blog for over 5 years, but needed a little updating to match the updates in my cookbook. This cake is one of my favorite cakes of all time! I say that about a lot of cakes, but this one is no doubt in my top ten.

The cake layers are so tender and moist, the fillings are flavorful and add two different texture elements that truly make it feel like you’re eating a peach crisp, and the buttercream is like the ice cream on top!

Ingredients You Need for Peach Crisp Cake

• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Unsalted butter
• Canola or vegetable oil
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Butter extract
• Vanilla extract
• Peach yogurt

I started with my classic yellow cake as a base for this cake. It’s tender and buttery, and almost reminds me of the topping you’d put on a cobbler. I made one change to the recipe and substituted Chobani Peach Greek Yogurt instead of the sour cream. It adds just a hint of peach flavor to the cake, but nothing too strong. I also reduced the amount of clear vanilla extract and pumped up the butter flavor with extra butter extract.

HOW TO MAKE MOIST CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting moist cakes that rise well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. 
• Make sure to beat the butter, sugar, oil and eggs really well. The mixture should be smooth in texture and nearly doubled in volume when you’re done mixing. THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT!
• Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients. Not cold at all.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. REMEMBER: the cake continues to bake for a few minutes while it cools in the pan.

Peach Compote

What if peaches aren’t in season when I make this cake?

While I know we all wish peach season was year-round, unfortunately, it’s not. If you decide to make this cake when peaches aren’t in season, you can ABSOLUTELY use canned peaches. Just make sure to use the ones without added sugar. We’ve got plenty of that already in the cake!

Can I make the compote ahead of time?

Totally! I prefer to do this, in fact. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cinnamon Oat Crumble

This is probably my favorite element of the cake. It’s a total game changer. The flavor and texture add so much to this Peach Crisp Cake! Make sure you have the following ingredients on-hand for the crumble:

• Old fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
• Light brown sugar
• All purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Cinnamon
• Salt

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

This recipe calls for vanilla bean paste in the buttercream. The bean paste is what creates those gorgeous specks you see. There are so many brands of vanilla and vanilla bean paste. I say, use whatever you can find and is cost efficient. I know prices have gone up significantly and it’s likely they’re not going down any time soon either. You can find vanilla bean paste at Walmart, Michaels craft store, Amazon and even some grocery stores now too. If you’re having a hard time finding paste, use extract – same amount.

How to Make Buttercream Frosting

To get a light and fluffy homemade buttercream frosting, make sure you follow my tips over at: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

These steps are written up for my vanilla buttercream, but are supposed to be applied to any of my buttercream recipes.

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step.

ASSEMBLY

When you assemble the cake, I think you’ll find it helpful to freeze the cake before applying the crumb coat. I know I usually tell you to freeze the cake after the crumb coat, and I suggest you do that here too, but freezing the cake after you stack it will help stabilize the soft filling.

The end result of this cake is beyond what I hoped for. Honestly, I expected I would like it, but I absolutely LOVE it. I won’t even hesitate to say it’s one of my favorite cakes I’ve made.

Hope you love it too!

Video Tutorial

This video is 100 years old, but it still shows the assembly process well  

Other Fruit-Filled Cakes You’ll Love

• Peaches and Cream Cake
• Peach Upside Down Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Blueberry Cobbler Cake

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Peach Crisp Cake

Tender yellow cake layers with a cinnamon oat crumble, peach compote and whipped vanilla bean buttercream make up this perfect summer Peach Crisp Cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Cinnamon Oat Crumble, peach, Peach Compote, Peach Crisp Cake, Vanilla Buttercream, Yellow Cake

Servings 1 3-layer, 8-inch round cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (366 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (73.3 g) canola oil
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) butter extract
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) clear vanilla extract
• 1 cup (245 g) Chobani Peach Greek Yogurt, room temperature

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• 3/4 cup (67 g) oats
• 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (42.4 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.32 g) ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon (2 g) salt

FOR THE COMPOTE

• 2 cups (450 g) peaches chopped, fresh or canned
• 2 tablespoons (27.5 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbsp cold water

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1 tablespoon (12.6 g) vanilla bean paste
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch with non-stick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Turn the mixer to medium-low and add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Add the extracts and then turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for an additional 3 minutes. We want the texture to be smooth, the color to look lighter, and the volume to have nearly doubled in size.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture with the Chobani yogurt, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
• Evenly distribute the cake batter in the three pans, about 16 to 17 ounces of batter in each 8-inch pan.
• Bake the cakes for about 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with only just a few crumbs on it.
• Cool the cakes on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cakes onto cooking racks to cool completely. If you don’t plan to stack and decorate the cake right away, level the cakes if needed and then immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap or tin foil and freeze. 
• About an hour before assembly, remove the cake layers from the freezer.

For the Crumble

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon and salt. Mix by hand with a wooden spoon until the mixture resembles clumps of sand. Spread the crumble over the parchment paper and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. The crumble should be golden brown. Let it cool completely and then crumble the mixture into smaller pieces, if needed.

For the Compote

• Place 1 cup of the peaches and the sugar into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small food processor or blender and pulse until it becomes more of a puree. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
• Add remaining 1 cup of peaches and cook for 5 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry and simmer until thick. Cool completely before using on cake. 

For the Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, and dash of salt.
• Continue to beat the frosting on medium-high speed for an additional 5 minutes.    
• Before frosting your cake, mix the frosting by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets.

Assembly

• Place the first cake layer, top side up (crumb side up), on a cake board or cake plate. Using an offset icing spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over the cake layer. This creates a barrier between the cake and peach filling so the cake doesn’t become soggy. 
• Pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake layer. This will help support the cake layers and prevent the peach filling from spilling out. (You may even need to pipe a second time over the first rim you made).
• Spread about half of the peach filling on the cake layer. 
• Sprinkle about half of the crumble over the peach filling.
• Gently place the second cake layer on top of the filling and crumble and repeat steps 2 to 4.
• Place the final cake layer top side down on the second layer of filling. 
• Freeze the cake for about 10 minutes to help set the frosting and filling, making it a bit more stable for when you frost. If the cake still feels wobbly, add a dowel to the center of the cake (or you can even use drinking straws for this).
• After the filling is set, use a small amount of frosting to apply a crumb coat around the entire cake. Freeze the cake again for another 10 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• After the crumbs are locked in, continue to frost and decorate the cake.

The post The Most Delicious Peach Crisp Cake with Cinnamon Oat Crumble first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Most Delicious Peach Crisp Cake with Cinnamon Oat Crumble appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

I have made a lot of cakes using raspberries, so I’ve learned a thing or two about raspberry filling! If you follow these simple tips, you’ll soon know how to fill your cakes with the most delicious raspberry filling. This is seriously the best way to fill a cake with raspberry filling. And now is the best time to try it with spring here and summer on the way!

I love finding ways to incorporate raspberries into my cake recipes. Their perfect balance of sweet and tart makes them the perfect ingredient for cake. Plus, they taste so well with so many different flavors. You can check out all of my raspberry cake recipes here to get some ideas for your next cake to bake! Of course, after you finish this cake you’re working on with the raspberry filling.

The Best Way to Fill a Cake with Raspberry Filling

Raspberry Filling Tip #1: Use freeze-dried raspberries

Freeze-dried raspberries are the way to go when making raspberry filling. Using freeze-dried raspberries (as opposed to fresh or frozen) will help create a thick, Greek yogurt-like texture which is what you want for your raspberry filling. The freeze-dried raspberries, when pulverized, absorb some of the moisture from the cream, giving you that thickness. Using fresh or frozen raspberries will not give you that same texture and it will be a lot harder to work with!

Raspberry Filling Tip #2: Use a food processor to blend the raspberries

Raspberry cream is best made in a food processor, however, you can pull it off in a blender if needed. You start out by pulsing your freeze-dried raspberries until it resembles a powder, Next, you add the sugar and the cream. Check out this raspberry cream cupcake recipe for the full instructions on how to use the food processor to make your raspberry cream filling. 

Raspberry Filling Tip #3: Use high-fat heavy whipping cream

I recommend using high-fat heavy whipping cream for your raspberry filling. I like to use 40% Darigold. The fat will help keep the raspberry filling thick and retain enough moisture so it’s easier to work with for spreading and even piping. Also, make sure your whipping cream is cold when you add it to your filling. Both of these factors will play a huge role in giving you the best raspberry cream filling for your cake!

Raspberry Filling Tip #4: Use an offset icing spatula

Using an offset icing spatula to spread any type of filling for your cake is such a game-changer! You can check out my favorite products here for baking cakes. Believe me, when it comes to baking cakes, brands matter! Here are a few of my recipes that show you how to fill a cake with raspberry filling:

• Pink Velvet Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
• Chocolate Raspberry Swiss Roll with Raspberry Cream Filling
• Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Cake (This one includes a step-by-step tutorial.)

The Best Way to Fill a Cake with Raspberry Filling

I hope these tips help you next time your baking in the kitchen! As I said, I believe following these tips really will help you learn the best way to fill a cake with raspberry filling. And, I’m guessing you’ll want to decorate your raspberry cream-filled cake with a few fresh raspberries too. Check out this post on how to decorate cakes with raspberries. I talk about a few more of my favorite raspberry cake recipes in that post too! 

I can’t wait to see how your raspberry cakes turn out! Feel free to tag me on your stories of the cake creations you make. You can find me on Instagram @cakebycourtney. Make sure to follow me too, to get the best tips and tricks on all things cake!

More Recipes You’ll Love

• The Best Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
• Raspberry Oreo Cake with Cookies and Cream Filling
• Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Cake with Chocolate Ganache
• Light and Fluffy Coconut Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Next Level Graham Cracker Butter from Scratch

The post The Best Way to Fill a Cake with Raspberry Filling first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post The Best Way to Fill a Cake with Raspberry Filling appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

So many lemons, not enough time! Just kidding, there is ALWAYS enough time for cake. Today I am spotlighting several of my favorite lemon cakes to help celebrate this season! These are pretty easy to put together and they taste absolutely amazing. I hope you have fun baking these cakes this spring and summer! Here are my 5 easy lemon cake recipes from scratch.

I hope this post gets you excited about sunshine and warmer weather like it has for me! I love to see the warmer spring days start to show up more regularly and I can’t think of a better way to use this excitement than to bake a springtime cake. Plus, I can’t get over how many combinations you can create with lemon! There are so many, and all of them just taste incredible. I hope you enjoy these 5 lemon cake recipes from scratch!

5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe #1: Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon and blueberry is such a classic duo in so many different forms, and cake is no exception! This Lemon Blueberry Cake is so delicious and definitely will help bring some happiness into your life. It radiates sunshine! And just wait until you taste it. The main thing to remember when baking this cake is to allow plenty of time (usually a couple of hours) for the wet ingredients to get to room temperature. This will help you get a proper rise on your cake. I hope you love this one as much as I do!

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe #2: Lemon Oreo Cake

Do you always buy the lemon Oreos in the springtime too? This cake is a celebration of the lemon oreo flavor, and I may be so bold to say it tastes so much better in cake form! But what doesn’t, right? This Lemon Oreo Cake has light and fluffy cake layers with a hint of lemon extract and more lemon Oreos. I think you’ll love the texture of the cake with the cookies in it! Then, it’s finished off with lemon buttercream, tinted with lemon food gel to make it shine even brighter.

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe #3: Lemon Bar Cake

Just wait till you hear all the elements in this Lemon Bar Cake. You will fall in love with every bite! This cake is made up of lemon cake layers baked on a shortbread crust, filled with lemon curd, and topped with lemon buttercream. Is your mouth watering too? This really is a cake version of a lemon bar. So if you are obsessed with lemon bars, this cake is the first one you should try!

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe #4: Chocolate Lemon Zucchini Cake

This Chocolate Lemon Zucchini Cake features moist chocolate zucchini cake layers with a lemon cream cheese frosting. This recipe has actually always been a favorite of mine. I love putting chocolate and lemon together because it’s not a combination used very often, but it’s oh-so-good! The zucchini adds moisture to the cake, but you can’t tell it’s there once the cake is baked, so that’s a bonus! You will definitely taste a lemon flavor with every bite of this one.

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe #5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

This Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake is a twist off of my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. This one just has a glaze instead of buttercream. This is such a rich and dense cake that tastes divine. Because there’s so much batter in one pan, make sure to bake it at a lower temperature for a longer time so you can get a more even bake. You can find all the notes for this recipe here!

5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch

Which of these 5 easy lemon cake recipes from scratch are you most excited to try? I know, it’s a tough choice, but you’ll probably end up trying all of them anyway, right? They are so good and now is the perfect time to try them! I’d love to see your creations. You can tag me on Instagram @cakebycourtney whenever you post a picture of your cake so I can see it! You can also follow me there for more tips and tricks on all things cake. 

More Recipes Like This…

• The Perfect Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
• Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake
• Top 3 Cakes Using Lemon Curd
• The Perfect Summer Cake: Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Light and Fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Updated

The post 5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post 5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake has been a favorite for years, but as I worked on my cookbook, I tweaked a few things to make it even better! You’ll see a similar recipe of this cake in my book with the Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake. 

Why did I make changes? 

You’ll see in the pictures that this cake is meant to be light and fluffy in texture. However, as I talked to many of you, I learned that you struggled to get the same texture I was getting. So, to make it a bit easier, I changed up the creaming method and a few ingredients. 

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

To make this cake light in color but incredibly moist, you’ll be using egg whites, lemon juice and some sour cream. Using all egg whites ensures we get a lovely white color, but we need to make sure we have enough fat in the cake to create and retain moisture. That’s where the sour cream comes in. One of the updates I made was reducing the sour cream, as to make sure the texture doesn’t get too dense for you. 

Ingredients You Need for Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Poppy seeds
• Lemon zest 
• Lemon juice
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Egg whites
• Vanilla extract
• Sour cream

One of the most important elements to the cake making process, to ensure you get light and fluffy cake layers, is to make sure you beat the butter, sugar and eggs long enough. We want the batter at this point to look light and fluffy and to be SUPER smooth. 

To obtain a smooth texture, it’s a MUST to use ROOM TEMPERATURE ingredients. Otherwise, these ingredients won’t mix evenly, nor will they be properly absorbed by the dry ingredients – which means: your cake won’t rise well. 

What Flavors Can I Pair with Lemon Poppy Seed?

I also love that the possible flavor combinations in this cake are so versatile. Instead of raspberries, you could use blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc. You could also use a compote filling or even preserves.

For this cake, I simply cut raspberries in half and placed them into the buttercream.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

For this delicious Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream, make sure to have the following ingredients on hand:

• Unsalted butter
• Powdered sugar
• Cream cheese
• Lemon extract
• Vanilla extract

With the cream cheese, this buttercream is slightly softer, so I don’t recommend piping with it.

More Lemon Cakes You’ll Love

• Lemon Bar Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Lemon Oreo Cake
• Strawberry Lemonade Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

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Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Lemon poppy seed cake layers with lemon cream cheese frosting and fresh raspberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword chocolate cream cheese frosting, cream cheese buttercream, Lemon, Lemon Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed, Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (6 g) salt
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 tbsp (27 g) poppy seeds, 27 g, soaked in water for about an hour before hand*
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup (230 g) lemon juice
• ½ cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 6 ounces cream cheese slightly cold
• 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
• 1 tsp (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp (4.2 g) lemon extract
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
• Filling and garnish: fresh raspberries, split in half about one small carton,

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar for two minutes on medium-high speed. You should notice the color get lighter and the texture should be smooth.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition. Continue to beat the mixture on medium-high speed for an addition 2 to 3 minutes. At this point, you're again looking for the batter to be lighter in color and larger in volume.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ cup of the lemon juice. Repeat the additions, ⅓ flour mixture, ½ cup juice and the final ⅓ flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low.
• Gently fold in the sour cream.
• Evenly divide the batter between each pan (about 16 ounces of cake batter into each of the three 8-inch cake pans or 12 ounces in each of the 6-inch pans) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add in the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Continue to beat until very fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and lemon extract extract and beat well.
• Before using on your cake, mix the frosting by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Place one cake layer, bottom side down, on a cake plate or cardboard cake board. Spread about 1 cup of frosting across the top of the cake layer. Make sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure the frosting is even. Cover with fresh raspberries.
• Place the next cake layer on top of the raspberries. Gently spread about 1 cup of the lemon cream cheese frosting over it.
• Repeat steps one and two for the second cake layer. 
• Place the final cake layer, top side down, on top. Give the cake a quick crumb coat and chill for 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer before frosting the entire cake.

Notes

*Poppy seeds absorb moisture. Make sure to soak the seeds to help keep the cake from becoming dry.

The post Light and Fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Updated first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Light and Fluffy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Updated appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

So many rainbow cakes, so little time! This St. Patrick’s Day inspired cake is probably my favorite I’ve ever done and I’m so excited for you to try out. These darling rainbows are so easy to create and so fun to make.

Getting Started

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two 12-inch piping bags (one for the rainbow colors and one for the white clouds)
• Wilton 1M piping tip
• Wilton #10 piping tip
• Six ZipLock bags
• Seran wrap
• Six Americolor food gels (I used, Coral, Copper, Gold, Moss, Navy and Violet)

Plan on using about a half batch of my vanilla buttercream (recipe below) for the rainbows and clouds. Divide the frosting into seven bowls. Tint six of the bowls of frosting your rainbow colors and leave one bowl of frosting white for the clouds.

Place each color of frosting into a ZipLock bag and cut a corner off each bag.

Prepping the Piping Bag for Rainbows

On plastic wrap, pipe a line (about 6-inches long) of each color. Make sure the colors line up and touch one another.

Try to create equal amounts of frosting in each line.

After you’ve piped all six colors, take the end of one side of the plastic wrap and begin to lift it up.

Carefully fold the plastic wrap and buttercream to create a circle of colors.

Be gentle as you fold the buttercream over so that you don’t smash the frosting and create uneven lines.

After you’ve wrapped the buttercream, twist one end of the plastic wrap so the buttercream doesn’t come out. On the other end, cut the plastic wrap close to the buttercream. You’ll then place the wrapped buttercream into the piping bag fitted with the Wilton 1M tip.

Piping Rainbows

To create the rainbow, simply pipe a half circle onto a frozen or chilled cake. For best results, place your cake on a tall cake stand and the place the cake stand on your turn table. It will be much easier for you to pipe if you’re as close to eye level with the cake as possible.

After you’ve piped all the rainbows onto the side of the cake, it’s time to pipe the clouds. Place your white frosting into a piping bag fitted with the Wilton #10 tip.

Again, positioning yourself as close to eye level with the cake as possible will make it much easier to pipe onto the side of the cake.

To create the clouds, simple pipe a sideways “s” or squished “m.”

To finish off the cake, grab the rainbow piping bag again and create a braid around the top of the cake. I left about a half inch from the edge of the cake to where I started by the rainbow.

To see a video tutorial of the buttercream braid, take a look at my segment on Fox from December when I used the braid to create a wreath.

And that’s it! Easy peasy, right? Can’t wait to see you give this a try!

Similar Recipes You’ll Enjoy

• 10 Fun and Easy St. Patrick’s Day Cake Ideas
• Green Velvet Rainbow Cake
• Tip Tuesday: How To Fill Your Piping Bag
• Bright and Colorful Rainbow Sherbet Cake
• Lemon Pretzel Cake with Step-by-Step Picture Assembly Tutorial

Kelly Clarkson Show

More St. Patrick’s Day Inspired Cakes

• Green Velvet Cake
• Carved Rainbow Cake
• Rainbow Dot Cake

The post Buttercream Rainbow Tutorial first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Buttercream Rainbow Tutorial appeared first on Cake by Courtney.

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

I grew up on traditional mint chocolate chip ice cream. You know, the kind you get at Baskin Robbins or the grocery store that’s bright green with chunks of chocolate in it? Yeah, that’s the one I knew and loved.

It wasn’t until I was married, had Westin, and we moved to San Francisco that I experienced what REAL mint chocolate chip ice cream was supposed to taste like. MINT! Fresh mint. Not the extract, not the flavor from your toothpaste… we’re talking fresh mint from the garden.

Places like Bi-Rite Creamery and Salt and Straw have opened my eyes, and my taste buds, to the subtle but exciting flavor fresh mint can add to a dessert.

I finally tried it in a cake and it’s been a hit.

These layers are made with mint infused sugar and the buttercream is made with mint infused cream. Both elements provide a hint of mint, but nothing that feels overwhelming or like you’re brushing your teeth.

Ingredients You Need for the Cake

• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Fresh mint leaves
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk
• Mini chocolate chips

How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Layers

These layers are similar to my Vanilla Cake. The big difference is that you’ll be making a mint-infused sugar beforehand and adding mini chocolate chips.

I have instructions below, but also make sure to check out THIS episode of Studio 5 to see a tutorial, as well.

Mint-Infused Sugar

To make the mint-infused sugar, you’ll chop fresh mint and then add it to the sugar. Massage the mint into the sugar for a few minutes and then let the mixture sit in an airtight container for at least an hour. I’d even recommend doing this step a day or two before you want to bake.

How to Make Mint-Infused Buttercream

For the buttercream frosting, we’ll be adding the mint to the heavy cream. Just like you’d steep tea, we’re steeping the mint leaves in the cream over medium-low heat. Make sure to let the heavy cream return to room temperature before using in the buttercream. This is another great step to do ahead of time.

Ingredients You Need for the Buttercream

• Unsalted butter
• Powdered sugar
• Heavy whipping cream
• Fresh mint leaves
• Salt

Similar Recipes You’ll Love

• Mint Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Layers
• Grasshopper Pie Cake
• Mojito Cake
• St. Patrick’s Day Cakes
• Super Easy Mint Andes Double Chocolate Cookies

Print

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Tender and flavorful fresh mint chocolate chip cake layers with fresh mint buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Fresh Mint, Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cake, Mint Buttercream, Mint Chocolate Chip

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 1 tablespoon (10 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 6-8 fresh mint leaves,
• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slighly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream,
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.

FOR THE GANACHE

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Combine the chopped fresh mint leaves and the granulated sugar. Massage the mint into the sugar for a few minutes and allow the sugar and mint to sit together in an airtight container for an hour or up to a few days. Use a mesh strainer to sift the sugar and remove the larger mint leaves.
• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and then line with parchment. Spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the mint infused sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition.
• Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ cup of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions, ⅓ cup flour mixture, ½ cup buttermilk and the final ⅓ cup flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low. Fold in the sour cream, followed by the mini chocolate chips.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three 6-inch pans (16 ounces in each) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a small saucepan, heat the cream and mint leaves on medium-low heat until it reaches a simmer. Turn heat off and allow the cream to cool to room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale in color.
• With the mixer on slow, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the mint infused heavy cream, and pinch of salt.
• Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a couple minutes more.
• Before using the buttercream, make sure to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to help push out the air pockets.

FOR THE GANACHE

• Heat the cream and the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Cool completely before using between cake layers.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board.
• Spread about 1 cup of the the buttercream over the cake layer. Followed by a few tablespoons of the chocolate ganache.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream and spread more buttercream and then ganache across the layer.
• Place the final cake layer top side down on the buttercream and ganache.
• Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes. This is your crumb coat.
• Once the crumb coat is set, continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.

The post Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

The post Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cake appeared first on Cake by Courtney.