LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH CURD AND BLUEBERRIES

LEMON LAYER CAKE WITH CURD AND BLUEBERRIES image

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

Cake:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup skim milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Lemon curd:
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus ½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups blueberries, lightly crushed

Steps:

Cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat two 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment. Spray parchment; set aside. 2. Sift together flour, baking powder, & salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, milk, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, & lemon juice in a large bowl; set aside. 3. Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Raise speed to medium-high. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. 4. Add half of the flour mixture to the milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Fold in remaining flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the egg white mixture. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out cakes onto rack. Remove parchment; reinvert. Let cool completely. Lemon curd: 5. Make the lemon curd: Put egg yolks into a medium heatproof bowl; set aside. Whisk together lemon zest, sugar, cornstarch, & salt in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water & the lemon juice; whisk until sugar & cornstarch have dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; gradually whisk one-third of the lemon mixture into the reserved egg yolks. Pour mixture into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 1/2 minutes. 6. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl; place plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until firm & cold, at least 1 hour (up to 1 day). Finish: 7. Fold blueberries into curd; set aside. Trim top & bottom of one cake to be flat. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Set untrimmed bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup curd. Repeat with trimmed halves for second & third layers. Top with untrimmed top layer. Dust with confectioners' sugar.