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In the Oven: Lemon Drop Cake

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Rev up your ovens, bakers – we’re making a bright, lemon-y cake. Posting date is December 16!

Lemon Drop Cake
 
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Yield: 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
For the lemon drop cake layers
  • 2½ cups cake flour
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
  • 1¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Grated zest of one lemon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1½ cups ice cold water
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the lemon curd filling
  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
For the lemon drop frosting
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups milk
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup lemon curd
To assemble the cake
  • 8 mini lemon candies
Instructions
Make the lemon cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg, and beat just until combined. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
  4. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
  5. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
Make the lemon curd filling
  1. In a small bowl, pour the lemon juice over the lemon zest and let stand for 10 minutes to soften the zest.
  2. In a nonreactive bowl whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until combined. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to the egg mixture and whisk until just combined.
  3. Place your bowl containing the egg mixture over a double boiler. Continuously stir the mixture with a heatproof spatula until the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like texture, about 6 minutes.
  4. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter until emulsified. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Take a sheet of plastic wrap and press it into the mixture and around the bowl so that the curd does not form a skin.
  5. Set the lemon curd aside while you make the frosting. Do not refrigerate the curd unless you are saving it for future use.
Make the lemon drop frosting
  1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
  2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the vanilla extract and 1⁄2 cup of the freshly made lemon curd and con- tinue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put it in the refriger- ator to chill slightly then mix again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.
Assemble the cake
  1. Refrigerate the frosting for a few minutes (but no more) until it can hold its shape. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface and evenly spread about 1 cup of the remaining lemon curd on top. Add the next layer, trim, and fill with 1 cup of the lemon curd, then add the third layer and trim. Crumb coat the cake and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the frosting. Garnish with the candies and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up the finished cake.
Notes
How to store: This cake will keep beautifully in a cake saver at room temperature (cool and humidity free) for up to 3 days. If your room is not cool, place the cake in a cake saver and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

 

In the Oven: Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

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Time to make pies! Posting date is December 2.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
 
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Yield: One 9-inch pie
Ingredients
  • 1 ball of Classic Pie Dough (½ recipe; page 94), chilled
  • 2 cups pecan halves, toasted
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coarsely chop ¾ cup of the pecans. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the corn syrup, sugars, butter, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Whisk again until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.
  4. Spread the chocolate chips evenly along the bottom of the frozen pie shell. Slowly pour the filling on top of the chocolate chips. Arrange the remaining 1¼ cups pecan halves on top of the filling.
  5. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again.
  6. Cool the pie on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

 

In the Oven: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Keeping along with the Autumn theme, we’re diving in to pumpkin whoopie pies with a cream cheese filling. Posting date is November 18!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
 
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Ingredients
For the pumpkin whoopie cookies
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cloves
  • 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the cream cheese filling
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the pumpkin whoopie cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
  4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
  5. Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
  1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
  3. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling, or it will lose structure.
Assemble the whoopie pies
  1. Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).
  2. Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
Notes
The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

 

In the Oven: Vanilla Bean Caramel Apples

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Fall is in full swing — time to make some vanilla bean caramel apples! Posting date is November 4.

Vanilla Bean Caramel Apples
 
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Yield: 10-12 apples
Ingredients
  • 10 to 12 crisp apples
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Ice
Instructions
  1. Wash and thoroughly dry the apples. Remove the stems, then set them on parchment-lined baking sheets a few inches apart. Insert a small dowel (about 7 inches long, pencil-sharpened on one end) about three quarters of the way through each apple.
  2. Put the cream in a small heavy pot. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and, using the tip of the knife or a small teaspoon, scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the cream. Add the vanilla bean to the cream.
  3. Simmer the cream and vanilla over very low heat for 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the vanilla bean and any other fibrous pieces. Vanilla bean flecks will remain.
  4. Return the vanilla cream to the pot, then add the sugar, corn syrup, and butter, making sure that the mixture doesn’t splash onto the sides of the pot. Place the pot over very low heat and stir very gently until the sugar is dissolved, to prevent burning. When the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pot. Heat the caramel mixture, without stirring, to 245 degrees F.
  5. Meanwhile, put a few handfuls of ice in a medium bowl that is large enough to accommodate the pot with the caramel mixture.
  6. When the caramel mixture reaches 245 degrees F. (and stays there for at least 1 minute), remove from the heat and place the pot on top of the ice for 30 seconds to slow the cooking. Remove the pan from the ice.
  7. Tilt the pot toward you to create a big pool of caramel and, working fast, immediately begin dipping the apples in it. Dip each apple only once, and don’t worry about coating it evenly or completely (the more you fuss with the caramel the more difficult it will become to dip). Return the caramel-dipped apples back to the baking sheet and refrigerate until the caramel is set, about 10 minutes. Serve.