If you are looking for a moist and soft velvety cake you have found it! Though it will not be the most stable layer cake for tiered cakes it definitely convinces with its moist and rich flavor and consistency!
The softest lemon cake filled with a lemon speckled frosting and decorated with a lemon ganache drip!
How to make a lemon ganache
The main key of creating a smooth lemon ganache is the ingredients. I tried using real white chocolate but it came out a mess! Use white candy wafers for best results! Make sure to weigh the ingredients for the best consistency of the ganache! For this drip I am using the water ganache recipe from sugar geek show! It is so easy to make and you can dye it with regular water based food coloring (you just need one drop!).
To make a water ganache you can either use water or in this case lemon juice to get a fresh lemon flavor! For that use freshly squeezed lemon juice and strain it through a mesh strainer to remove any pulp. Warm it in a microwave safe bowl for about 30 seconds. Then pour it over the candy wafers in a heat proof bowl and let it sit for a few minutes before stirring. Mix it and microwave it again for a few seconds if it is not completely melted. Stir it with a spatula or a whisk until it is all smooth.
These are the cheesecake pans that I always use in my recipe videos: Springform pan and Removable bottom pan
A 8 inch springform pan is the traditional choice to make most cheesecake recipes. I usually use it for no bake cheesecakes. For baked cheesecakes I prefer the removable bottom pan. It has the advantage of fitting a water bath snuggly around it.
Lemon Velvet Cake
Ingredients for 2 8-inch cake layers
For the lemon cake:
1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
3 1/4 cups (390 g) cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup (240 ml) butter milk
1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, very soft
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
For the lemon frosting:
2 cups (450 g) butter, soft
4 cups (520 g) powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon zest, minced
2 tsp lemon extract
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed or milk
For the lemon drip:
1 oz (28 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed, no pulp
6 oz (170 g) white candy wafers
2 large lemons for decoration
Check out my lemon cake tutorial while this one is in the making
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 °F. In a medium sized mixing bowl sift in cake flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and oil. Mix for about 4 minutes. The mixture should be very fluffy and lighter in color. Add eggs one by one. Mix it until it is completely incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 2 to 3 steps and add butter milk, lemon juice and zest. Mix the batter until everything is thoroughly incorporated but do not over mix it.
Step 2:
Prepare 2 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and baking spray. Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean. Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 3:
In the meantime make the lemon frosting. In a large mixing bowl add butter and mix it until smooth and lighter in color for about 4 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest. Mix it on low until it is completely incorporated and the frosting is smooth. Add lemon juice until the butter cream has a pliable smooth consistency.
Step 4:
To decorate the cake place the first layer on a plate and spread a generous amount of frosting on top and smooth it out. Add the second cake layer and cover the cake with frosting on the top and its sides. Smooth it out with a spatula and a cake scrape and let it cool in the fridge for about 40 minutes or place it in the freezer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 5:
While the cake is chilling prepare the lemon ganache. To a heat proof bowl add candy wafers and hot lemon juice. Let it sit for a few minutes then stir it until smooth. Reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds if needed. Add one drop of lemon yellow food coloring and mix it until it is colored evenly. Fill it into a drip bottle for an easy application. When the cake is cooled pipe a drip around the sides. Then decorate the cake with lemon slices and lemon frosting on the top.
Enjoy!
**Pro Tips**
Substitute cake flour with 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour and 1/3 cup (40 g) cornstarch mixture. Sift at least 5 times.
Make sure flour and leaving agents are sifted before measuring to not add too much flour! Best to use a kitchen scale for measuring!
