Triple Lemon Cake with a Cheesecake Center
Over a year ago, I received the ultimate compliment when my nephew and his fiancé asked me to make their wedding cake. Initially I panicked because wedding cakes are not my specialty. In fact, I have only once made a true ‘tiered’ wedding cake, and that required no fancy piping skills, just beautiful flowers added as decoration. But, how could I say no to such a request. My fears and panic immediately vanished once they described what they actually had envisioned for their cake.
The bride and groom had what I thought was a brilliant idea for the dessert course of their reception menu. They asked some of their invited loved ones to bring a dessert – cookies, cake, pie, donuts! Instead of one large wedding cake, they wanted a variety of home-baked desserts for their guests to enjoy. Since I’m all about dessert, especially anything homemade, I was all for that idea. With the dessert bar decided, they also wanted a small ‘personal’ wedding cake that they would share during the cake cutting ceremony, and that’s where I came in. I was touched with such an honor.
Working with them through the details of the cake revealed that they preferred it not be chocolate, they liked lemon and raspberry a lot, and at one point in the discussion my nephew chimed in that he liked cheesecake. No problem. Now, how to bring this all together? After a bit of research and testing, I created this lemon cake, lightly laced with raspberry jam and lemon curd, sandwiching a thick cheesecake center.
The wedding was absolutely lovely. The dessert bar was a complete hit. And, it was a special joy to watch the bride and groom share their first bite of cake as husband and wife – made by moi!
This cake isn’t complicated at all, in fact, all four components can be made two to three days in advance.
Lemon Cake with a Cheesecake Center
Find the Lemon Cake recipe here.
Find the Lemon Curd recipe here, or any recipe for lemon curd. Store bought is also fine.
Cheesecake Layer:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grease an 8-inch springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350˚.
Combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, and continue to beat until incorporated. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Beat in the lemon juice.
Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center of the cheesecake barely wiggles when gently shaking the pan. Remove to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake. DO NOT remove the ring at this time. Cool cake completely on rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to two days.
Frosting:
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) butter, softened
6 cups sifted confectioners sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 – 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
4 tablespoons lemon curd
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add the confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Reserve 1/2 cup confectioners sugar for later, if needed to adjust for consistency. Add the salt and 1/3 cup cream, and beat until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar or cream, until spreading consistency is reached. Beat in the lemon curd.
Assemble the Cake:
4 – 6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
Trim the tops of each cake layer to make even, if necessary. Slice each cake layer into two layers.
Place one cake layer on cake platter. Spread with 2-3 tablespoons lemon curd. Place second layer on top of first, and spread with 2-3 tablespoons raspberry jam. Place cheesecake layer next. Spread 2-3 tablespoons jam on the third cake layer, and place jam side down on top of cheesecake. Spread the top of the third layer with 2-3 tablespoons lemon curd. Top with fourth cake layer. (The cheesecake layer may need to be trimmed slightly to line up with cake layers.)
Crumb coat the top and sides of cake with frosting, and chill for 15 minutes. Finish cake with remaining frosting.
Recipe created by Mary Weinberg of Sifting Focus. Various components resourced as noted in directions.
Lemon Cake with a Cheesecake Center
Find the Lemon Cake recipe here.
Find the Lemon Curd recipe here, or any recipe for lemon curd. Store bought is also fine.
Cheesecake Layer:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grease an 8-inch springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350˚.
Combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, and continue to beat until incorporated. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Beat in the lemon juice.
Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center of the cheesecake barely wiggles when gently shaking the pan. Remove to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake. DO NOT remove the ring at this time. Cool cake completely on rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to two days.
Frosting:
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) butter, softened
6 cups sifted confectioners sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 – 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
4 tablespoons lemon curd
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add the confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Reserve 1/2 cup confectioners sugar for later, if needed to adjust for consistency. Add the salt and 1/3 cup cream, and beat until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar or cream, until spreading consistency is reached. Beat in the lemon curd.
Assemble the Cake:
4 – 6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
Trim the tops of each cake layer to make even, if necessary. Slice each cake layer into two layers.
Place one cake layer on cake platter. Spread with 2-3 tablespoons lemon curd. Place second layer on top of first, and spread with 2-3 tablespoons raspberry jam. Place cheesecake layer next. Spread 2-3 tablespoons jam on the third cake layer, and place jam side down on top of cheesecake. Spread the top of the third layer with 2-3 tablespoons lemon curd. Top with fourth cake layer. (The cheesecake layer may need to be trimmed slightly to line up with cake layers.)
Crumb coat the top and sides of cake with frosting, and chill for 15 minutes. Finish cake with remaining frosting.
Recipe created by Mary Weinberg of Sifting Focus. Various components resourced as noted in directions.
Life never ceases to amaze me. Blessings come in the most unexpected ways. Occasionally they even show up in the aftermath of catastrophe.
There was absolutely no reason to believe that Sherry and I would ever live in the same city again, much less on the same street. Then, this fall’s Northern California fires happened. Sherry, my brother-in-law, and their children lost their home to the brutality of nature. They were visiting us the night of the fire and took refuge in our home for the following few weeks.
Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over, I finally have time to bake all the things I pushed to the side when the season’s commitments, far too often, took me out of my kitchen. These early days of January are quieter and I finally have time to re-visit all the recipes I had ear-marked back in December. The rain began to fall today in Southern California and it made for the perfect weather to bake these chocolatey sablé cookies dotted with vibrant green pistachios and a flourish of flaky sea salt.
What exactly is a sablé? Well, it is a French cookie that dates back to the mid sixteen hundreds. In French, sablé translates to sand, and in a butter cookie, that is a very good thing. The French sablé cookie is similar to the Scottish shortbread cookie. Whereas traditional shortbread consists of only butter, sugar, and flour, a sablé often includes baking powder/soda (but not always) and either an egg, egg yolk, or egg white in its list of ingredients. It is to be expected that over time, as is often the case with recipes, there have been great liberties taken with both of these centuries-old cookies.
This recipe makes a lot of cookies. Bake some now and keep a log or two in the freezer and slice and bake as needed. (No defrosting necessary.) Don’t skimp on the quality of cocoa you use in this recipe. As always, I recommend using high quality cocoa, especially in this cookie where you want the luscious taste of chocolate to shine through. There really is a difference!
Christmas cookie baking is in full swing in my kitchen. Two batches of butter cookies are in the freezer and a double batch of gingerbread dough is chilling, awaiting to be cut into cute little ginger boys and girls, or maybe snowflakes depending on my mood. 
I have been thinking much lately about ‘things’. I’m talking about our possessions. Those things we save, collect, and treasure that fill our homes – and our lives. I am a collector of many things, be it vintage jelly jars, old cookbooks, wooden spoons (actually spoons of all types), antique and rare kitchen gadgets – just to name a few. Among my most treasured possessions are my daughter’s baby book, my Grandma’s recipe jar, my Mom’s cast iron skillet, and photos that reach all the way back to my youth. The list is as long as my arm. Sitting within feet of where I am typing this post, I spy a glass slipper given to me by a best friend, my Mom’s turquoise encased lipliner, and a hand-thrown pottery jar accented with a bird on the lid made by my daughter. Yes, my house is filled with items that warm my heart, snuggle me in memories of those that are no longer with me, and of times shared with loved ones. They bring me joy and comfort.