Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 Homemade Lemon Curd

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (usually requires 1-2 lemons)2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest1/3 cup sugar4 egg yolks3 Tablespoons butter (I use unsalted)Directions ~Combine all ingredients in the top of a double boiler (or in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water).  Heat, while stirring constantly with a whisk,  until mixture thickens.  It is done when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate until cool. 
 Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat. Beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.

Cake

2 large eggs separated

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Separate the eggs, placing the whites into one container and the yolks into another. Let come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 8in (I used 9in) pans.  

Put sifted flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 cup of sugar (reserving the rest) and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Now add egg yolks, one at a time, until completely incorporated.  Add vanilla and almond extract until combined, about 30 seconds.

Now you are going to add your flour mixture and milk.  Starting with the flour, add 1/3 of the mixture and mix until incorporated.  Now add 1/2 milk mixture, mix until combined.  Add half the remaining flour, combine.  Now add the rest of your milk and combine.  Add remaining 1/3 of your flour mixture, and go ahead and mix until combined.  This whole process should take less then 2 minutes, as you do not want to over beat the batter.

In a separate clean bowl with clean whisk attachment, whip eggs whites until foamy then add the cream of tartar. (I did this on medium speed) Beat until soft peaks occur, and then gradually add in your remaining sugar.  You will want stiff peaks, which took me about 3 minutes.  Now, take your rubber spatula and fold your eggs whites into your cake batter.  Make sure they are fully incorporated, but do not over stir the batter, as you do not want to eggs to deflate.

Put batter into prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

250g cream cheese, very soft

250g marscapone

1 vanilla bean pod seeds

Zest of one lemon

1 tsp lemon juice

Beat together remaining ingredients till smooth. Beat in Meringue a spoonful at a time until all incorporated.  Chill for 15 minutes and ice cake.

Assemble

Alternate layers of cake with a thin layer of frosting spread over cake and topped with lemon curd. Frost entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and place in the freezer for 10 minutes, remove and cover with the remaining frosting.