Best lemon cake

lemon cake

Ingredients

• Flour - 2 1/3 cups (350-370 g)
• Baking powder - 2 ¾ teaspoons
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon
• Granulated sugar - 1 ¾ cups (350 g)
• Lemon zest, grated - 2 teaspoons
• Butter at room temperature - ¾ cup (150 g)
• Room temperature milk - 1 cup (250 g)
• Egg whites - 5 pcs.
• Cream of tartar, to fix whipped proteins (optional) - ¼ teaspoon
• Lemon cream:
• Butter - ½ cup (100 g)
• Granulated sugar - ¾ cup (150 g)
• Fresh lemon juice - ½ cup (125 g)
• Lemon zest, grated - 3 tbsp spoons
• Salt - a pinch
• Egg yolks - 6 pcs.
• Glaze:
• Butter, softened at room temperature - 1 cup (200 g)
• Lemon zest, grated - 2 tbsp spoons
• Powdered sugar, sifted - 3 ½ cups
• Fresh lemon juice - 3 tbsp. spoons
• Lemon peel dragees and spirals - for decoration

Directions

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking dishes.
2. Combine the sifted flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix ¼ cup sugar and lemon zest thoroughly.
3. Beat the butter and lemon-sugar mixture with a mixer until fluffy (on medium speed, about 1 ½ minutes). Add remaining 1 ½ cups sugar and beat until smooth (about 1 ½ minutes). Pour in a quarter cup of milk, whisk until smooth. With the mixer speed reduced, add the flour, alternately with the milk, in three batches.
4. Separately, beat the chilled egg whites with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar (you can add a pinch of salt, a pinch of citric acid or a little lemon juice) to make the whites beat better (you can not add anything). Increase speed and beat until egg whites hold their shape. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter in quarters.
5. Pour the finished dough into two baking dishes. Level the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking with a wooden stick (it should be dry). Cool without removing from the mold for 10 minutes.
6. Using a knife, carefully remove the cakes from the mold. Cool completely.
7. Holding the cakes with the palm of your hand, cut them horizontally into two parts with a saw blade.
8. Place one of the four cakes on a plate, cut side up. Brush with chilled lemon cream (1/3 cup), spreading it evenly over the surface with a knife or spatula. Cover with the second cake, also brush with 1/3 cup of cream. Lay the third cake, spread the remaining 1/3 cup of cream. Cover with the fourth layer.
9. Top the lemon cake with icing a few hours before serving. Brush the sides and top of the cake with a thin layer of frosting, trying to fill in any bumps. Refrigerate for ½ hour. Spread the rest of the frosting evenly over the surface of the cake.
10. Decorate the Lemon Dragee Cake with Lemon Peel Spirals (or whatever you like).
11. Lemon cream.
12. Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy bowl. Remove from heat, stir in sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt. Beat with the yolks until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Put the dishes on moderate heat and, stirring, bring to a thickening (5-6 minutes). Do not let the mass boil. Pass immediately through a fine sieve. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Place in refrigerator.
13. Glaze.
14. Beat butter with lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually, in parts, add powdered sugar, beat until smooth. Add lemon juice and beat for 1 more minute. (You can leave the glaze at room temperature for 2 hours).
15. Advice.
16. To make lemon peel spirals, cut thin strips of peel from two lemons. Cover the cut peel with a damp paper towel. The strips will curl into spirals as they begin to dry.