Lemon Layer Cake For Passover Recipes

Steps:

• To make the sponge:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by greasing them and lining with parchment.
• Sift the matzo cake meal, potato starch and salt together, set aside. In a mixer whip the eggs and sugar, for about 8 minutes.
• The eggs should be very light in color and a thick foam. At the very end, add the vanilla and zest.
• Sift the dry ingredients over the egg foam.
• Very gently, but thoroughly, fold the dry ingredients into the egg foam.
• Pour the batter into one of the prepared pans and spread evenly with a spatula.
• Bake the cake for about 18 minutes or until golden and dry when poked with a cake tester. Repeat with the second cake layer.
• To make the buttercream:
• In a small pot, fitted with a candy thermometer, heat 2 cups sugar, water and cream of tartar to 242 degrees F. This will take several minutes, so get your eggs started.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks and 1/3 cup sugar. Beat the eggs on medium high speed until light in color and thick.
• Once the sugar has reached 242 degrees F, add it very carefully and slowly to the eggs, while the beater is going on slow speed. Be sure to pour the syrup along the edge of the bowl, not directly onto the beater or it will splatter. Continue beating the egg mixture on medium-high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.
• Once the eggs are cooled, add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time. The mixture will go through a stage when it looks soupy and curdled, but keep adding the butter and it will come together. After all the butter is added, mix in the vanilla.
• The buttercream will be smooth and glossy.
• Divide 1/3 of the buttercream into a separate bowl and add the poppy seed paste.
• To the remaining buttercream, add the melted chocolate.
• If you are not going to use the buttercream right away, cover it and leave it at room temperature for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to use it, give it a good stirring or put it back in the mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth.
• To make the soaking syrup:
• In a small saucepan heat the sugar, water and zest over medium heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
• Cut each sheet of cake into 4 equal pieces (they will be about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long).
• Lay the first layer of cake on the serving platter and brush with the soaking syrup. You want to dab the syrup on, but don't overly saturate the cake or it will be soggy.
• Spread a thin layer of the poppy seed buttercream over the soaked layer.
• Repeat with 5 more layers and then finish with the 7th layer of cake. This will leave you with one extra. Since my cake is not traditional anyway, you should feel free to use up that last layer. If you want to keep it to seven layers, then I suggest you use that lonely extra layer as a snack.
• If your layers need squaring up, just trim them with a sharp serrated bread knife.
• Stir the chocolate buttercream to make sure it is smooth and cover the entire cake in a nice even layer.
• It is okay if it isn't perfectly smooth, because we're going to add some rough stripes to the outside.
• Take a small blob of buttercream on the end of your spatula,
• and starting at the end of the cake, on the bottom, spread that blob in a stripe along the cake. Repeat over and over again, but alternate which side you start on. Repeat this on the top as well.
• You will end up with rough stripes all over the cake, which gives the cake some texture.
• Using a sharp chef's knife, scrape the smooth side of a bar of chocolate with the blade, so that the chocolate curls up. If the chocolate is very cold and brittle, try sitting it in the sun for a few minutes and the curls will come more easily. Cover the top with the chocolate shavings.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and juice. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and milk. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 24-28 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool slightly., For syrup, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Cool completely., For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth; beat in confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and salt until blended., Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Brush layers with warm syrup; cool completely., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. If desired, top with lemon slices or edible flowers. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trace the bottom of the baking pans onto a piece of parchment and cut out the circle. Use margarine to grease the baking pans; position the parchment circle in the pan and grease the paper. Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice and sugar in the bowl and beat on low to combine, then add the cake meal, potato starch and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate, clean bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the egg yolk mixture, then pour into prepared pans. Bake about 15 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the cooking time. For the lemon cream: Combine the eggs, yolks and sugar in a double boiler set over a pan of barely boiling water. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Cook about 25 minutes, whisking occasionally, so the mixture becomes thick. Be patient, don't stir too much. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of the margarine at a time. Cool for 10 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. To assemble: Unwrap the cakes and stack, adding a little lemon cream between each layer, leaving enough lemon cream to add to the Cool Whip to frost the cake at the end. When the layers are done, add some Cool Whip to the remaining lemon cream until it looks like enough to frost the cake. Frost and refrigerate.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for three 8 inch round pans. Cool cakes completely, then split each in half to make 6 layers.
• For the Lemon Custard: In a large saucepan or double boiler combine sugar and cornstarch. Mix well, then stir in egg yolks, lemon zest and lemon juice. slowly whisk in the boiling water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Set aside to cool.
• Place the bottom layer of cake on a serving plate. Spread with approximately 1/5 of the lemon custard. Repeat layers. Frost top and sides with Seven Minute Frosting (see footnote for link to recipe).

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.
• Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter until combined well. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan. Bake until crust is firm and a shade darker, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.
• Make filling and bake cheesecake:
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated. Mix in zest and vanilla.
• Put springform pan in a shallow baking pan and pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center is wobbly, 45 to 50 minutes (filling will continue to set as it cools). Transfer cake in pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around edge, then remove side of pan. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• Whisk together the matzo flour, baking soda, baking powder (see Note), and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, white sugar, margarine, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and food coloring with an electric mixer set on medium speed until smooth; pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir until combined into a smooth batter, and pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean. Cool completely, then remove from the pan.
• Place 1 cup of confectioners' sugar in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix the non-dairy creamer with water, and stir in 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar. Stir the creamer mixture into the confectioners' sugar by teaspoons until the mixture forms an even, workable glaze. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract. Spread the glaze over the cooled lemon loaf. Allow to set, and serve in 1-inch slices.