Lemon Tiramisu Cake


Cake:
6 eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups sifted cake flour **

Filling:
½ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 (10-ounce) jar lemon curd

Glaze and garnish:
1 TBS. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup prepared lemonade
Confectioners’ sugar
Lemon slices

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with wax paper. Grease wax paper.

2. To prepare cake, place egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and cream of tartar. Beat until frothy with a mixer at high speed. Add granulated sugar gradually. Beat until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and stir with a fork. Add extracts. Fold into egg whites. Gradually fold in flour. Spread batter evenly in pan.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on wire rack.

5. To prepare filling, beat whipping cream and sugar with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate. Combine mascarpone cheese and confectioners’ sugar; beat well with a mixer at medium speed. Blend in ricotta cheese. Add vanilla, lemon rind and 1/3 cup lemon curd; mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mascarpone mixture into remaining lemon curd. Set aside.

6. To prepare the glaze, combine the lemon juice and lemonade.

7. To assemble, remove wax paper from cake. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice into three layers. Brush first layer with about ¼ cup glaze and spread with about 1½ cups of the filling. Top with second layer and brush on 1/4 cup glaze and spread with 1½ cups filling. Top with third layer and brush on remaining glaze. Spread top with lemon curd. Frost sides of with the remaining filling. Refrigerate several hours to overnight.

8. Just before serving, dust cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Serves 16.

** Cake Flour Substitute:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

To make two cups of cake-and-pastry flour (cake flour), combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch; proceed with your recipe.

The easiest way to do this substitution is to put 2 tbsp of cornstarch in the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the cup as usual with all-purpose flour and level top. Repeat process to get your two cups.

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