This cake is an absolute delight! But before we get there let me tell you about my longstanding quarrel with sloppy writing and with cookbooks that set me up for failure. This one came from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne. Just as the authors promised, this cake is wonderful. It has a perfect crumb and is incredibly moist. Once assembled and settled, it cuts beautiful slices. It is an unusual two bowl cake because it requires very little beating. So what is my problem? The authors failed to include the simple fact that these cakes require to cool and to settle completely before you remove them from the pans. They hint at it, with a suggestion to chill the layers before assembly. Well a lot of good that will do to the already messed up layers? Which they contradict anyway with “let the layers cool for 10 minutes” before inverting. Aside from the fact that I recalculated the 8 inch triple layers for a two 9 inch layers, I made several important changes to the recipe. Call me a neat freak, but I like a neat cake. And I don’t like the bottom of my cake sticking to the plate either. Yes the tops and the sides present a bit of a challenge. The sides of the pan also have to be lined with parchment, not just buttered. And you don’t invert all the layers. You need one layer to stay on its bottom. One more thing! Do not test this cake with a tap on the top, but rather insert a cake tester or a toothpick in the middle to test for doneness. In fact don’t touch the top until assembly period. Let the cake cool completely in the pans and then chill them, still in the pans. And when the layers are nicely settled; then and only then proceed to remove the cakes from the pans. They could have easily added these little details on page 74, half of it remained empty. But why do this? So everybody can have success the first time around? But what would that do to the mystique surrounding the authors?
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
225 ml [not quite 1 cup] 3.25% buttermilk
2-1/4 cups cake flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1 batch of lemon curd
1 batch of mousselini buttercream
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly spray the bottom and sides of two9 inch spring form cake pans.
• Line completely with parchment paper, bottoms and sides included. The paper will stick to the sprayed pan.
• Spray the parchment again.
• Place the 3 eggs and 2 yolks in a medium sized bowl.
• Add the vanilla extract and 1/8 cup of buttermilk.
• Whisk well and set aside.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
• Add the remaining buttermilk and the butter to the dry ingredients.
• Blend together on low speed.
• Increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until light fluffy.
• Add the egg mixture in three parts, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Do not over mix.
• Divide the batter among the two prepared pans.
• Bake the cake layers for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place the cake pans on a wire racks.
• Let the cake layers cool completely.
• When completely cooled down, place the cakes still in the pans in the fridge.
• Chill for about an hour.
• Remove from the fridge and proceed with the removal.
• Unhook the spring mechanism and remove the ring from one of the cakes.
• Grasp the bottom parchment, pull off and carefully slide the cake onto a platter. [do not invert]
• Spread 3/4 of the lemon curd on the top.
• Now unhook the spring mechanism and remove the ring from the other cake.
• Carefully pull the parchment from under the cake. The chilled cake is fairly stable at this point.
• With the flat side up place the second cake on top of the bottom layer.
• Chill the cake with the lemon curd for an hour.
• Remove from fridge; spread a thin crumb coating of mousselini buttercream over the well chilled cake.
• Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• Remove cake from the fridge and spread on the rest of the mousselini buttercream.
• Carefully pipe or spoon the remaining lemon curd on top of the cake.
• Chill the assembled cake for half an hour.
• Remove, slice and serve.
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
225 ml [not quite 1 cup] 3.25% buttermilk
2-1/4 cups cake flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1 batch of lemon curd
1 batch of mousselini buttercream
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly spray the bottom and sides of two9 inch spring form cake pans.
• Line completely with parchment paper, bottoms and sides included. The paper will stick to the sprayed pan.
• Spray the parchment again.
• Place the 3 eggs and 2 yolks in a medium sized bowl.
• Add the vanilla extract and 1/8 cup of buttermilk.
• Whisk well and set aside.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
• Add the remaining buttermilk and the butter to the dry ingredients.
• Blend together on low speed.
• Increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until light fluffy.
• Add the egg mixture in three parts, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Do not over mix.
• Divide the batter among the two prepared pans.
• Bake the cake layers for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place the cake pans on a wire racks.
• Let the cake layers cool completely.
• When completely cooled down, place the cakes still in the pans in the fridge.
• Chill for about an hour.
• Remove from the fridge and proceed with the removal.
• Unhook the spring mechanism and remove the ring from one of the cakes.
• Grasp the bottom parchment, pull off and carefully slide the cake onto a platter. [do not invert]
• Spread 3/4 of the lemon curd on the top.
• Now unhook the spring mechanism and remove the ring from the other cake.
• Carefully pull the parchment from under the cake. The chilled cake is fairly stable at this point.
• With the flat side up place the second cake on top of the bottom layer.
• Chill the cake with the lemon curd for an hour.
• Remove from fridge; spread a thin crumb coating of mousselini buttercream over the well chilled cake.
• Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• Remove cake from the fridge and spread on the rest of the mousselini buttercream.
• Carefully pipe or spoon the remaining lemon curd on top of the cake.
• Chill the assembled cake for half an hour.
• Remove, slice and serve.
