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Ingredients
Buttermilk Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, very soft
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) shortening
- 2 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 5 large eggs, separated with no yolk traces in egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, must be at room temperature
Lemon Curd
- 3/4 cup lemon juice, fresh, not bottled
- 1 1/3 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 1 1/2 cups whipping or heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 2 cups chocolate chips, 50-55% cocoa mass content
Frosting
- *Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 3, 9-inch cake pans and fit a round sheet of parchment on the bottom to ensure a flawless removal from pans. Set aside.
- Sift together flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using a stand or handheld mixer mix soft butter, shortening, and sugar. Add one egg yolk at a time waiting for previously added yolk to be fully incorporated.
- Scrape bowl well and add vanilla. Mixture needs to be very fluffy. If not, run a hair dryer on sides of bowl while mixing.
- Add one-fourth of dry ingredients and once combined add one-third of buttermilk. Add another one-forth of dry ingredients and once combined add another one-third of buttermilk. Repeat steps until all incorporated.
- In a separate bowl whip egg whites until medium stiff. As soon as they are whipped, fold them gently until combined.
- Scrape batter evenly into pans and spread surface evenly.
- Place in oven and bake until center of cakes bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger and until you see cake retracting from sides in a few areas. About 25-28 minutes.
- Turn baked cake upside down onto plastic food film. Do not remove parchment paper from cakes yet.
- To prepare lemon curd, in a non-reactive saucepan bring lemon juice and about half of sugar to a boil.
- In a separate bowl whisk eggs for 2 minutes until well combined and then quickly whisk in remaining sugar. Pour about half of boiled lemon juice mixture into beaten eggs and whisk rapidly.
- Pour egg mixture into saucepan and whisk vigorously to a boil. Keep whisking constantly until thick bubbles form. Remove from heat and set aside. Do not add soft butter yet.
- Once mixture feels barely lukewarm (130°F) add half of soft butter using a rubber spatula. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining butter and mix until butter is dissolved. If butter was a touch too cold, it will not properly dissolve. If so, place bowl just about 5 seconds in a microwave oven and then stir for several minutes. Only if absolutely needed, return it to microwave oven. Do not overheat mixture as butter would melt and actually clarify and lose its ability to thicken curd properly.
- Set bowl into another bowl filled with ice cubes and do not stir it any longer until it is completely cold.
- Meanwhile prepare ganache. In a saucepan bring cream and sugar to a full boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk smooth. Set aside until completely cool and spreadable firm. You can speed setting process by placing ganache about 1 minute in ice water and then stir it gently.
- Repeat, but only until it has barely cooled and only slightly thickened. Ganache needs to set mainly at room temperature. If it has firmed too much and is not spreadable, it can be heated in 8 second increments in a microwave oven.
- Cut all 3 cake rounds horizontally in half using a serrated knife.
- On one half side of cake layer spread one sixth of lemon curd and on other side one sixth of ganache. Mark plate you are using to know exactly where lemon and chocolate parts start and end.
- Cover with another cake layer and on same sides cover with one sixth lemon curd and one sixth ganache. Repeat with all layers,
- Place cake in freezer for about 20-30 minutes as this will make frosting cake easier.
- Meanwhile prepare buttercream frosting.
- Frost sides and top of cake and ensure that you keep an eye where lemon and chocolate parts are.
- Spread remaining lemon curd on lemon side. Keep a little ganache to pipe rosettes on dividing line and spread remaining ganache on surface.
- Decorate with rosettes.
Imperial Sugar Insight
NOTE: Select flour with 3 grams/protein on nutrition facts label.
