Cake test

A while back, a year ago this month actually, I made a lemon layer cake for my husband's birthday. It was delicious! I have since wanted to make the cake again, but with chocolate buttercream icing. The original cake recipe is a white cake with lemon curd filling and fluffy white icing. I found it on America's Test Kitchen website HERE.
Theirs looks way better than mine, but looks aren't everything right?

The cake part was the best white cake recipe I have found so far. It is nothing like what you get out of a box, that's for sure. I found it to be pretty good with the chocolate icing, but I really like the fresh lemon with it best I think. Chocolate good, lemon better.

One little tip I just learned for making layer cakes with somewhat runny fillings, is to pipe a ring of icing just inside the edge of the cake and then pour the filling inside the ring of icing. That is assuming that you are using icing for the outside of course. I'm not saying the lemon filling was runny but it did want to squish out the sides and mix into the icing as I iced it .
I recommend reading the recipe ahead of time. You can't make this one spur of the moment, since the milk, egg whites and butter need to be room temperature.
I would love to hear what you all think of this cake, the original or with your own take.


I used Wilton's Dark Chocolate Buttercream Icing for frosting the cake tonight.

Wilton's Dark Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Tools: * Electric mixer

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine
* 1 cup cocoa or
* 7 (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
* 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
* 4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar sifted
* 4-5 tablespoons milk
* 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)

Makes: About 3 cups.

Instructions: Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup per recipe to thin icing if desired. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.