Wedding cakes part 2: Lemon drizzle cake, lemon buttercream filling and meringue frosting

I think this one was my favourite. I love lemons and anything very tangy and I was very excited to make a cake that had a mixture of tanginess and sweet in it. The first sample I made was too sweet, there wasn’t enough tanginess to cut through the meringue. So next time I made it I drizzle all layers with lemon syrup and a thin layer of lemon curd. It worked very well and the meringue wasn’t too overpowering in the end. 

As you can imagine, there are so many steps involved that you really need to be organised! The cakes, lemon buttercream, meringue, lemon syrup and the lemon curd. I first made the three cakes and while they were baking I made the lemon syrup and the curd. While the cakes were cooling, I made the buttercream and last, while the cake was setting in the fridge, the meringue. Et voila! It does take time to make this cake but I promise, the result is well worth it.

To simplify the whole process, instead of meringue frosting you could use the same lemon buttercream.

Lemon drizzle cake, lemon buttercream filling and meringue frosting

For the lemon drizzle cake

Makes 3 8 inch round cakes.

4 lemons, finely grated zest

400g unsalted butter, cubed and softened

400g caster sugar

6 medium eggs, beaten

400g self-raising flour, sifted

Syrup

6 lemons. juiced

100g granulated sugar

Directions

1.       Grease 3 8inch, round, cake tins and base-line with a disc of baking parchment.

2.      In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar, softened butter and lemon zest until the mixture is pale in colour, really light and fluffy.

3.      Then, add the beaten eggs, which should be at roughly the same temperature as the butter and sugar. Add it in stages, beating in after each addition (if it looks like it's going to curdle, add 1 tbsp flour). Once all the eggs have been incorporated, fold in the flour. The mixture will be very thick. Spoon the mixture into the tins, making sure each tin has an equal amount of batter. Bake for 35–45 minutes until it is shrinking away from the side. Test it with a skewer to see if the mixture is cooked in the centre; it should come out clean or with crumbs, not with any mixture. Remove from the oven and prick all over with a cocktail stick about 20 times.

4.      Stir the strained lemon juice into the sugar so it dissolves a bit, but not fully. Drizzle over the cake, slowly, waiting a few moments before adding more, so that it all sinks in. Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

5.  Once the cakes are cool, brush the top of ach with the lemon syrup. Let them set for 10mins. If you want the result to be more tangy, after the cakes have set brush the top of each with lemon curd.

 

For the lemon buttercream

Makes  enough for both layers

1 cup butter, softened

3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 lemon, juice and zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

 Directions

1.       Combine butter, sugar and salt and beat till well combined.

2.      Add lemon juice, zest and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minute or until creamy.

For the meringue frosting

Makes enough to cover the entire cake

4 egg whites

2 cups caster sugar

Directions

1.       Place egg whites, sugar and 1/4 cup cold water in a large heatproof bowl. Whisk to combine. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Using an electric mixer, beat egg white mixture for 15 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

2.      Remove bowl from heat. Beat until cooled.

Assembling the cake

Place one of the cake layers on a plate and spread half of the lemon buttercream on top of it. Place another cake layer on top of the first layer and spread the remaining buttercream over it. Place the last cake layer on top. 

 

Cover the cake with the meringue, top and sides. Decorate with candied lemon, sprinkles, glitter or just leave it plain and white!

Wedding cakes part 1: Vanilla bean cake with strawberry buttercream

I love wedding cakes. I love all the flavour variations, pretty designs, the big tiered cakes and the small and simple ones. I like the fact that there are no rules anymore and one can have what you want. If I had to chose only one flavour and style, I simply couldn’t! Just check these and try to pick only one...

A few months ago a friend of a friend asked me if I could do the cakes for her wedding cakes. Of course, I said yes! I met with her to have a chat about what she had in mind and I was very pleased to hear that she wanted something simple and not over the top. She decided to have three cakes: chocolate and cream cheese, vanilla sponge and strawberry buttercream and lemon sponge with lemon buttercream and meringue. I happen to love all of these flavour combinations so I couldn’t wait to start. And what better than spending an entire day baking?

 And these were the finished cakes: 

The first cake I made was the strawberry cake. For the sponge, I followed the vanilla bean cake recipe from Sweetapolita, which I’ve made a few times and it always turns out perfect. The sponge is not very fluffy, just fluffy enough, and the flavour is subtle and rich at the same time.

For the buttercream, I made a simple buttercream and I added grated strawberries and strawberry pure. The result is a fresh and not very sweet buttercream that goes perfectly with the vanilla flavoured cake. Just make sure you eat the cake at room temperature, so the buttercream is soft.

Vanilla bean cake with strawberry buttercream

For the vanilla bean cakes

I used Sweetapolita’s Vanilla Bean Cakes recipe, which you can find here.

Makes 3 8 inch round cakes.

Strawberry buttercream

375gr/13oz unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes

500gr/18oz icing sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

150gr/6oz fresh strawberries, grated

4 tablespoons strawberry puree, made from 80gr/3oz strawberries

Directions

1. In a bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer for 8 minutes on medium speed, until the butter becomes pale & creamy.

2. Gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla extract, milk and salt and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. The buttercream will be light, creamy, and fluffy.

3. Add the strawberry puree and grated strawberries and mix until incorporated.

If you are not going to use it straight away, it can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or so.

Assembling the cake

Place one of the cake layers on a plate and spread about 1 cup of the buttercream on top of it. Place another cake layer on top of the first layer and spread another cup of buttercream over it. Place the last cake layer on top.  

Spread the remaining buttercream on top, as evenly as possible, and finish by covering the sides.

You can decorate it with fresh strawberries, sprinkles or leave it plain!For mine, I made sugarpaste strawberries.

Scones and Nigella Lawson

I'm not a big fan of Nigella Lawson. I understand that her show is about making easy and quick dishes for busy people but what I love about cooking and baking is making something from scratch and taking my time. And the way she talks about cooking while she cooks gets on my nerves, to be frank.

However, a week ago I was watching the Food Network and I decided to give her another chance. She made buttermilk scones and said that anyone could do it. I've been struggling with scones, mine always turn our too hard and to fluffy, so when I saw how easy she made it look, I thought "I'll try right now". And she was right. This recipe is so simple and quick; I was sampling mine within 20 minutes of starting! They came out fluffy and light in the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside and the following day they still tasted great. I had mine with a bit of homemade lemon curd and fresh strawberries.

So, have I changed my opinion about Nigella? Nope. But I'll make sure I try  a few more of her recipes.

Buttermilk scones

Makes about 12-14 scones. Recipe adapted from BBC Food Recipes 

500g/1lb 2oz plain flour, plus a bit extra for dusting

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp caster sugar

75g/3oz unsalted butter

300ml/10½fl oz buttermilk

1 egg, beaten, for an egg-wash or 1/4 cup of milk (optional)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/450F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper or dust with flour. 
2. Put the flour into a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and sugar. Mix with a spoon.
3. Chop the butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips and then pour in the buttermilk, mixing until just combines and forms a dough. 
4. Lightly flour your work surface. Pat the dough down into a round-ish shape about 4cm/1½in thick, then cut out 6cm/2¼in scones with a sharp cutter (I used a flower shaped one, for fun). 
5. Arrange the scones fairly close together on your lined baking sheet, and brush with beaten egg or milk, if you wish. Cook for 12 minutes, by which time the scones will be dry on the bottom and will feel light. 

  
6. Remove them to a wire rack to cool, and serve with clotted cream and jam, lemon curd or whipped cream and fresh berries.

  

Mojito cupcakes

I love the idea of a cocktail in a cupcake, or a "cuptail", as they are known. And I love mojitos, so I thought I would try to make my first cuptail. Verdict: success! Now I can't wait to try other combinations.

The only thing I didn't incorporate on the recipes was mint, and I'm not a fan of minty flavoured sweets, so I only used mint to garnish each cupcake.

I did some research on different recipes and I couldn't find one that completely convinced me, so I did my own version of two basic recipes for cupcakes and buttercream. I used a Swiss meringue buttercream, which takes time, but it's very light and fluffy. You could use a simple buttercream frosting too.

The result were moist and tasty cupcakes, with the right amount of alcohol and a tangy and fresh buttercream. Enjoy!

Mojito cupcakes: lime and rum cupcakes with lime Swiss meringue buttercream 

For the lime and rum cupcakes

Makes 14-16 cupcakes. Recipe adapted from BBC Food Recipes

220g/8oz butter or margarine, softened at room temperature (I used margarine)

220g/8oz caster sugar

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Zest of 2 limes

200g/8oz self-raising flour

4 tbsp milk

Rum syrup

3 tbsp of dark rum per cupcake

Zest of 1 lime

25g/1oz caster sugar

For the lime Swiss meringue buttercream

Enough to cover 16 cupcakes. Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

6 egg whites

1 ½ cups sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened

1/2 cup pure vanilla extract

Juice of 1 lime, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp lime zest
Green food colouring (optional)
Small lime slices/wedges for garnish (optional)

Directions

For the cupcakes:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a muffin tin with paper cases. 
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale (about 3-4 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the lime zest and beat for another minute. 
3. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full. 
4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. 

While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the rum syrup. Place the rum, sugar and remaining lime zest in a pan and let it simmer in low heat until the sugar in completely dissolved. 

Once the cupcakes are ready, remove from the tin and while still hot, pour 3 tablespoons of the rum syrup on top of every cupcake. Let them cool in a wire rack.

For the lime Swiss meringue buttercream: 

1. Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisking until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot. Take the bowl out. 
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form, and the bottom of the bowl comes to room temperature (10-15 minutes). 
3. On low speed, add butter in small additions until incorporated. Increase speed to medium, and mix until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the lime zest and juice, mixing until smooth and creamy.

Finish up:

1. Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and pipe it on top of each cupcake. Alternatively, you can spread it with a pallet knife. 
2. Garnish each cupcake with a lime slice and a mint leaf.
3. Enjoy! 

Finally!

I finally got around to setting up a blog.  I will admit that I wasn't too convinced about doing one, since I thought it would be a lot of work and I'm not usually too inspired to write. What if I can't come up with anything interesting to write about?

But then I realised I shouldn't take it so seriously, I just write about what it makes me excited: baking! So here we go; I hope it goes well and that you enjoy reading about my baking experiments.