Lemon curd cake with oil

 

Ingredients

For the cake layers

• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 150 g white granulated sugar
• 40 g canola oil
• 60 ml lemon juice juice of one medium lemon
• Zest of one lemon
• 170 g all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the lemon curd

• 3 egg yolks can be cold
• 55 g granulated sugar
• 55 ml lemon juice
• Zest of one medium lemon
• 5 g cornstarch
• 55 g unsalted butter

For the frosting

• 750 g cream cheese cold
• 110 g powdered sugar
• 100 g heavy whipping cream cold

Instructions

For the cake layers

• Preheat the oven to 170С (338F) and line the bottom of the 7 by 4 inch deep (18cm by 10cm deep) cake pan with parchment paper. Leave the sides of the pan untouched.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the eggs and sugar. Whip on medium-high for 8-10 minutes until the mixture has tripled in volume and is pale. If you use a hand mixer, it can take 12-15 minutes of whipping. If you lift the whisk, the mixture should slowly run down and leave a ribbon on the surface that slowly disappears into the mixture.
• Sift in the dry ingredients in three parts, folding each part with a rubber spatula before adding the next one. Try not to deflate the egg mixture too much.
• Combine the oil, lemon juice, and zest in a bowl. Add in two tablespoons of the batter and whisk to combine until homogenous in consistency.
• Pour the oil mixture into the batter and fold again just until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake right away for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let cool down for 30 minutes in the cake pan.
• When just warm to touch, run the knife along the wall of the pan, pressing tight against it to release the sponge cake. Place the cake onto the cooling rack to cool down.
• Slice it into 3 layers. Each layer should be around 1" or 2-2.5cm. If you’re planning to assemble the cake the next day, keep the sponge cake wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge.

For the lemon curd

• In a saucepan, add all the ingredients except the butter.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture starts simmering and thickens.
• Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mix until it has melted and been incorporated.
• Then, cover with plastic wrap (making sure it touches the mixture) and refrigerate until cold.

For the frosting

• Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a hand mixer) and mix on low until no dry powdered sugar is left. Then, beat on medium until reaching a homogenous consistency. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high until thick and fluffy.
• Mix the frosting with a rubber spatula to remove air bubbles. Then, place the mixture in a piping bag before assembling the cake. No need for a nozzle: just cut off the tip of the bag wide enough to pipe out the cream.

Assembling the cake

• Place the first layer of the cake on a serving plate, and spread an even layer of the frosting on top.
• Pipe a thick border along the edges of the cake, creating a dam that will hold the lemon curd inside the cake. Place half of the lemon curd in the middle and spread evenly. Then, place the second layer of the cake on top and repeat the process.
• Crumb coat the cake with a little bit of frosting and place it in the fridge for an hour. Place the piping bag with the rest of the frosting into the fridge too.
• Remove cake from the fridge and frost. Decorate with fresh blueberries and refrigerate for several hours or better overnight before serving.