Lemon Snowflake Cake
White-chocolate snowflakes balance gracefully on a delicate, lemony three-layer white cake filled with zesty lemon custard and covered with a white-chocolate frosting.
Yield
12 servingsPrep
20 minCook
3Ready
3Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon filling | |||
| 1 | cup |
sugar
|
|
| ¼ | cup |
cornstarch
|
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
salt
|
|
| 1 | cup |
water
|
|
| 4 | large |
egg yolks
lightly beaten |
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
butter
|
|
| ½ | cup |
lemon juice
|
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
lemon zest
finely grated |
|
| Cake layers | |||
| 3 ½ | cups |
cake flour
unsifted |
|
| 4 | teaspoons |
baking powder
|
|
| ½ | teaspoon |
salt
|
|
| 2 | cups |
sugar
|
|
| 1 | cup |
butter
2 sticks, softened |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
lemon juice
|
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
lemon zest
finely grated |
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
vanilla extract
|
|
| 1 | cup |
milk
|
|
| 7 | large |
egg whites
|
|
| 1 | x |
chocolate
white, snowflakes and frosting |
*
|
| 4 | each |
chocolate bars
3 oz, white, coarsely chopped |
|
| 1 | x |
dragee (silver balls)
optional |
* |
| 1 ½ | packages |
cream cheese
8 oz, softened |
|
| ½ | cup |
butter
1 stick, softened |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
lemon juice
|
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon filling | |||
| 237 | ml |
sugar
|
|
| 59 | ml |
cornstarch
|
|
| 1.3 | ml |
salt
|
|
| 237 | ml |
water
|
|
| 4 | large |
egg yolks
lightly beaten |
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
butter
|
|
| 118 | ml |
lemon juice
|
|
| 15 | ml |
lemon zest
finely grated |
|
| Cake layers | |||
| 828 | ml |
cake flour
unsifted |
|
| 2E+1 | ml |
baking powder
|
|
| 2.5 | ml |
salt
|
|
| 473 | ml |
sugar
|
|
| 237 | ml |
butter
2 sticks, softened |
|
| 15 | ml |
lemon juice
|
|
| 5 | ml |
lemon zest
finely grated |
|
| 5 | ml |
vanilla extract
|
|
| 237 | ml |
milk
|
|
| 7 | large |
egg whites
|
|
| 1 | x |
chocolate
white, snowflakes and frosting |
*
|
| 4 | each |
chocolate bars
3 oz, white, coarsely chopped |
|
| 1 | x |
dragee (silver balls)
optional |
* |
| 1.5 | packages |
cream cheese
8 oz, softened |
|
| 118 | ml |
butter
1 stick, softened |
|
| 15 | ml |
lemon juice
|
|
Directions
- Several hours or day before serving, prepare Lemon Filling: In 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well mixed.
Gradually add water, stirring until smooth. Heat mixture to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk; boil 1 minute (or until mixture thickens).
In small bowl, quickly stir some of hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir egg-yolk mixture into remaining hot mixture in saucepan until well blended.
Reduce heat to low; add butter and cook mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and rind.
Cool to room temperature; cover surface of filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate until filling is completely cold-at least 2 hours.
- Prepare Cake Layers: Heat oven to 375℉ (190℃)F. Grease three 9- inch-round baking pans.
Line bottoms of pans with parchment or, waxed paper; grease and flour paper.
In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat 1 ¾ cup sugar and very light and fluffy; beat in lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla.
Add flour mixture alternately with milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until smooth batter forms.
- In another bowl, with clean beaters and mixer at high speed, form.
With rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter.
Divide evenly among prepared pans.
- Bake 25 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; invert layers onto wire racks, remove parchment paper and cool layers completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare White-Chocolate Snowflakes: In double bars white chocolate. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spoon melted white chocolate into pastry bag fitted with writing tip. Reserve pan in which white chocolate was melted. Onto foil-lined sheet, pipe twenty-eight 2-inch snowflakes. Decorate with silver dragees, if desired. Place sheet of snowflakes in freezer until cake is completely frosted.
- Prepare White-Chocolate Frosting: Melt remaining 2½ bars temperature. In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in white chocolate, butter, and lemon juice until frosting is smooth.
- To assemble cake, with sharp knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level. Place one cake layer on serving plate; spread with half of lemon filling; repeat with second cake layer and filling. Place last cake layer, upside down, on top of filling to complete 3- layer cake. Frost cake smoothly with White-Chocolate Frosting. Remove snowflakes from freezer; gently peel snowflakes from foil. Press a few snowflakes into side of cake; pile remaining on top of cake. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator.
