Daring Bakers March Challenge - Dories Perfect Party Cake

I had really big plans for this months Daring Bakers Challenge….The challenge was Dories Perfect Party Cake; and I was going to make a beautiful 3 tier topsy turvey cake with a cupcake sitting on top. But, that didn’t happen. I got way too busy. Oh well maybe next time. This month was exciting because we got to deviate from the exact recipe and fill it with what ever we wanted.

The cake itself is moist and light with a slight hint of citrus. However, the butter cream definitely had a lemon flavor… but it was not over powering. It was light and airy. Perfect combination of sweet & sour. For my fillings I made a brandy soaking syrup, topped with raspberry preserves, and topped that with white chocolate cream cheese. I topped it all off with raspberries, blackberries, and mint that had been soaking in rosewater. It didn’t look as pretty as I would have liked. But it was a SPECTACUALR combination! Plus I got to use my Agbay knife and that is ALWAYS fun for me. I love that my cakes always have perfect layers and is flat as a board!

All in all this challenge was a great success. I didn’t come across any problems. Everything was pretty straight forward. My only complaint is that I hate lemon zest. Let me clarify. I LOVE the flavor that the lemon zest gives the cake… but for some reason I dread having to zest a lemon! It is like nails on a chalk board for me. Plus I inevitably always scrape my knuckles on the grater… then get lemon juice in it! So, I had to be extra careful on this challenge.

Here is the recipe as I prepared it:

For the Cake

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (updated 25 March)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, and then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

Brandy Soaking Syrup

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons brandy

In a heavy saucepan on medium heat bring water and sugar to a boil. Take off heat allow to cool and add Brandy. With a pastry brush moisten the top of each layer of cake.

Then follow this warm raspberry preserves (it is easier to spread when warm)

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling

• 3 large egg whites
• 11 ounces white chocolate
• 2 – 8oz. packets of cream cheese at room temperature

In a heat resisting bowl over a sauce pan of boiling water, whip egg whites on high speed with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Continue beating while adding in cream cheese 4 ounces at a time. Continue to whip for another 3 minutes. Take off heat and set aside. In a separate Pyrex bowl melt white chocolate over sauce pan with boiling water. Stirring continuously till creamy. Add chocolate to cream cheese mixture and whip for 2 minutes. Spread a thick layer on top of raspberry preserves.

For the Butter cream

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the butter cream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the butter cream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white butter cream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the butter cream and set aside briefly.