All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [31]
4. Bake the cake layers until they are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Let the layers cool completely, 20 minutes longer.
5. Meanwhile, make the lemon cream cheese frosting: Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium-size bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, 30 seconds. Add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and the reserved 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, then beat with the mixer on low speed until the mixture is combined, 30 seconds. Add 1½ cups of the remaining confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth and spreadable, 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat, adding the remaining ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar if needed to make the frosting thick and fluffy, 1 minute longer.
Love the Lemons
I just don’t get how something that is a failure, something that doesn’t work, is called a “lemon.” The lemon is one of the best tools in the kitchen. It is an ingredient that works in appetizers—like hummus, in salad vinaigrettes, in marinades, squeezed over grilled fish and steak, and especially in baking. Juice a lemon and you’ve got a tablespoon or two of flavor to perk up cake batter. Zest a lemon and you’ve got the most intense teaspoon of flavor around—just the right addition for the simplest buttercream frosting.
You’ll get more juice from a lemon if it is at room temperature, not chilled from the fridge. So pull lemons out of the refrigerator ahead of time and roll them on the kitchen counter with the palm of your hand to warm them up before juicing. A medium-size lemon will give you about two tablespoons of juice and two teaspoons of grated zest.
My favorite tool for zesting lemons, limes, and oranges is the Microplane. Grate the zest right over the mixing bowl or over waxed paper or a plate should you need to measure it. If you cannot use all the zest, just freeze what’s left for future baking. Place it in a small plastic resealable freezer bag and freeze it for up to two months.
Time-Saving Tips
Cake baking, believe it or not, was made for interruptions. Why do you think parents of small children have been able to pull it off? Even if your life is hectic, if you need a home-baked cake by week’s end, you can plan ahead and pull it off. Here’s how:
1. A week in advance: Bake the layers, let them cool, wrap them in aluminum foil, and freeze them.
2. Two days out: Make the frosting, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator.
3. A day in advance: Remove the cake layers from the freezer and let them thaw on the counter. Assemble and frost the cake, then place it in a cake saver and place it in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.
4. Day of the party: Relax, slice the cake, and eat!
6. To assemble the cake, transfer one layer, right side up, to a cake plate and spread some of the frosting over the top. Place the second layer of cake, right side up, on top of the first, then spread the remaining frosting over the top and side, working with smooth, clean strokes. To make slicing easier, place the uncovered cake in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes.
Keep It Fresh! If your kitchen is warm, store this cake in a cake saver in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can store a covered cake on the counter for 24 hours if the kitchen is cool, then place the cake in the refrigerator. Freeze