Recipe - Lemon-Lattice White Chocolate Cake

Three fourths cup Fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 cup Plus 2 tbsp sugar
3 lg Eggs
6 lg Egg yolks
One half cup Plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter,
cut into small pieces
2 tablespoon Grated lemon peel
FROSTING
2 One fourth cup Whipping cream
4 One half ounce Imported white chocolate,
chopped
Three fourths teaspoon Vanilla extract
CAKE
2 Three fourths cup Sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
Three fourths teaspoon Salt
4 ounce Imported white chocolate,
chopped
1 cup Whipping cream
One half cup Plus 2 tbsp milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
One half cup Unsalted butter, room
temperature
2 cup Sugar
4 lg Eggs, separated

FROM: Derek Maddox (The Tally System 9123286183 (1:36)

LEMON CURD

FOR LEMON CURD

Combine lemon juice and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until
cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat
until mixture is thick and smooth and just begins to boil, stirring
constantly, about 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Place plastic wrap
directly on face of curd to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until
chilled, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)

FOR FROSTING

Combine One half cup cream and chocolate in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low
heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer to large bowl.
Whisk in remaining 1Three fourths cups cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until well
chilled, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.)

FOR CAKE

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350øF. Butter three 9inch
diameter cake pans with 1One half inch high sides. Line bottoms with waxed
paper. Butter paper. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Sift flour,
baking powder and salt together into medium bowl. Repeat sifting.

Stir chocolate and One half cup cream in heavy medium saucepan over low heat
until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. mix in remaining One half cup
cream, milk and vanilla.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until
fluffy. Beat in yolks. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately
with white chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in
medium bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining 1 cup sugar.
Continue beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into cake batter in 2
additions. Divide batter among prepared cake pans. Bake until tester
inserted in center comes out clean and cakes are beginning to pull away
from sides of pans, about 24 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10
minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks, peel off waxed paper and cool
completely. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room
temperature.)

Using electric mixer, beat frosting in another large bowl until stiff peaks
form. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 2/3 cup lemon curd evenly atop
cake layer. Spread Three fourths cup frosting atop curd. Top with second cake layer.
Spread cake with 2/3 cup curd, then with Three fourths cup frosting. Top with third
cake layer. Frost top and sides of entire cake evenly with 3 cups frosting.

Place remaining lemon curd in pastry bag fitted with #2 star tip. Pipe
circle of curd around top of cake, One half inch from edge. Pipe evenly spaced
diagonal lines inside circle, creating lattice pattern. (Reserve remaining
curd for another use.) Spoon remaining frosting into clean pastry bag
fitted with #2 star tip. Pipe ruffled border around top and bottom edges of
cake. (Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate.) Let stand 30
minutes at room temperature before serving.

SOURCE: Bon App‚tit, February 1991 ** = this comes from the bottom of the
files of Shelley Rodgers =

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini