It's that time of the year again, it is my birthday. Between Christmas Eve and my birthday we also have Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, my son's birthday, and a few catch ups in between, it is an intense part of the year for me. I am all partied out, we've all eaten too much, drank too much, and now it's my birthday, one last hoorah to end the festive season.
I never want a traditional cake on my birthday, it's always something lighter. This year I really felt like a lemon flavoured dessert, so this is how this dessert came about. Now I made a lemon tart, so my daughter offered to make me this cake. She said was it easy to make, and it looked beautiful when it came out of the oven.
The mascarpone cream is optional in my opinion, yes it adds a light and fluffy creaminess to the cake, but I am just as happy eating the cake without the cream. So maybe only make the cream on special occasions.
The original cream recipe did not include lemon zest or juice and I found it bland. So I added the zest and just enough juice to not water down my frosting, but just give it a little more flavour with the lemon. Now it was lovely. Sugar is also, to taste.
I say serves 12-20, as it will depend on which tin you use. The tin I use gives you 20 slices, but your tin may be different.
Now for the breadcrumbs. There is nothing worse than making a cake like this in a kuglof style tin and you've baked it and it gets stuck in the tin. I have tried oil, butter, flour and oil, flour and butter, and each time, cakes can get stuck. My aunt told me about using oil spray and breadcrumbs and I have never had a cake stick since. The breadcrumbs need to be fine and they add just a little crunch to the outer layer of the cake.
So here is my version of a birthday cake, simple, elegant and delicious.
I never want a traditional cake on my birthday, it's always something lighter. This year I really felt like a lemon flavoured dessert, so this is how this dessert came about. Now I made a lemon tart, so my daughter offered to make me this cake. She said was it easy to make, and it looked beautiful when it came out of the oven.
The mascarpone cream is optional in my opinion, yes it adds a light and fluffy creaminess to the cake, but I am just as happy eating the cake without the cream. So maybe only make the cream on special occasions.
The original cream recipe did not include lemon zest or juice and I found it bland. So I added the zest and just enough juice to not water down my frosting, but just give it a little more flavour with the lemon. Now it was lovely. Sugar is also, to taste.
I say serves 12-20, as it will depend on which tin you use. The tin I use gives you 20 slices, but your tin may be different.
Now for the breadcrumbs. There is nothing worse than making a cake like this in a kuglof style tin and you've baked it and it gets stuck in the tin. I have tried oil, butter, flour and oil, flour and butter, and each time, cakes can get stuck. My aunt told me about using oil spray and breadcrumbs and I have never had a cake stick since. The breadcrumbs need to be fine and they add just a little crunch to the outer layer of the cake.
So here is my version of a birthday cake, simple, elegant and delicious.
Recipe
Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Indulgent Cakes'
Serves 12-20
For the cake:
225g butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup (160g) store-bought lemon curd
1 1/2 cup (225g) self-raising flour
3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250ml) milk
Breadcrumbs, for dusting the tin
Mascarpone Cream:
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
2 teaspoons icing sugar, to taste
300ml thickened cream
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Grease a deep 25cm fluted tube cake pan, lightly dust it with breadcrumbs.
Beat butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Fold in curd, sifted flours, salt and milk. Spoon mixture into pan.
Bake cake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
To make mascarpone frosting, beat ¾ cup (180ml) cream in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Combine mascarpone, sifted icing sugar, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a medium bowl; fold in whipped cream, then remaining cream. Taste, add more lemon juice, if needed.
To serve, I like to dust the cake with icing sugar and serve the mascarpone cream on the side. But you could also spoon half of the frosting on the cake, with the remainder of the cream placed in a bowl, in case somebody loves more cream.
Serves 12-20
For the cake:
225g butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup (160g) store-bought lemon curd
1 1/2 cup (225g) self-raising flour
3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250ml) milk
Breadcrumbs, for dusting the tin
Mascarpone Cream:
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
2 teaspoons icing sugar, to taste
300ml thickened cream
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Grease a deep 25cm fluted tube cake pan, lightly dust it with breadcrumbs.
Beat butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Fold in curd, sifted flours, salt and milk. Spoon mixture into pan.
Bake cake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
To make mascarpone frosting, beat ¾ cup (180ml) cream in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Combine mascarpone, sifted icing sugar, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a medium bowl; fold in whipped cream, then remaining cream. Taste, add more lemon juice, if needed.
To serve, I like to dust the cake with icing sugar and serve the mascarpone cream on the side. But you could also spoon half of the frosting on the cake, with the remainder of the cream placed in a bowl, in case somebody loves more cream.
Enjoy!
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