We have a lot of family and friends with birthdays throughout the month of March. Between all those birthdays and the advent of Spring usually occurring in March, I like to post intensely lemony recipes at this time of year. Especially dessert ones! Many of the birthday people are lemon lovers so the lemon dessert recipes are in honor of them. March is usually a month of warming temperatures and bright sunshine and lemons symbolize both sunshine and warmth for me. Hence, lemon recipes in March!

For the past few years, Kelly and Gilbert have gifted me a subscription of Bake From Scratch, a gorgeously illustrated periodical on everything baking. Every single page of this magazine is drool-worthy. After I have read each issue from cover-to-cover, I pass it on to Kelly to read. Also having a subscription to the online version of the magazine guarantees I have access to all the recipes. The Jan/Feb 2022 issue had an article titled, “Lemon Curd Love” containing their recipe for homemade Lemon Curd along with 4 deliciously lemony baked goods recipes with lemon curd in them. This is the first of the four recipes that I have tried (so far) and just as expected, it is an intensely lemony, delicious instant hit, and a definite keeper!

The cake recipe is first, followed by the lemon curd recipe from the magazine. I make the lemon curd a bit ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until I make the cake. The lemon curd can also be purchased in a grocery or specialty store. 

Lemon Almond Cake (adapted from bakefromscratch.com)  Total Time Required: 1-1/4 hours, Makes: 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons packed lemon zest (from 2-3 large lemons)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup super-fine almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup lemon curd (recipe below or purchased)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• confectioners’ sugar for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, sour cream, cream, melted butter, egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and extracts together at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until they are combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with each addition.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the batter and spoon the rest of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer. Spoon the lemon curd, 1 tablespoon at a time onto the batter in the pan. Spoon the reserved batter between the curd dollops. Using the tip of a sharp knife, swirl the curd into the batter being careful not to overmix the two.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Sprinkle the sliced almonds around the outer edge of the top of the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pan.

Let the cake cool completely on the pan base on the wire rack. Remove the pan base and the parchment paper when transferring the cake to a serving plate.

Just before serving, garnish the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Lemon Curd (adapted from bakefromscratch.com) Total Time Required: 15 minutes, Makes: 1-1/4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons packed lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, cornstarch, and salt until smooth.

Add the lemon juice, whisking it in until the mixture is smooth.

Cook the curd over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbling and thickened and reaches a temperature of 170ºF on a candy or instant read thermometer, about 7 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl.

Add the cubes of butter, 1 at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and the mixture is smooth between additions.

Cover the curd with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly on the the surface of the curd, to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely before using. Refrigerate the curd in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

It’s Lemon & Sunshine Month here!  ~Linda

Lemon Almond Cake (adapted from bakefromscratch.com)  Total Time Required: 1-1/4 hours, Makes: 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons packed lemon zest (from 2-3 large lemons)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup super-fine almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup lemon curd (purchased or recipe below)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• confectioners’ sugar for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, sour cream, cream, melted butter, egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and extracts together at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until they are combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with each addition.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the batter and spoon the rest of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer. Spoon the lemon curd, 1 tablespoon at a time onto the batter in the pan. Spoon the reserved batter between the curd dollops. Using the tip of a sharp knife, swirl the curd into the batter being careful not to overmix the two.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Sprinkle the sliced almonds around the outer edge of the top of the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely on the pan base on the wire rack. Remove the pan base and the parchment paper when transferring the cake to a serving plate. Just before serving, garnish the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Lemon Curd (adapted from bakefromscratch.com) Total Time Required: 15 minutes, Makes: 1-1/4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons packed lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Add the lemon juice, whisking it in until the mixture is smooth. Cook the curd over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbling and thickened and reaches a temperature of 170ºF on a candy or instant read thermometer, about 7 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl. Add the cubes of butter, 1 at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and the mixture is smooth between additions. Cover the curd with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly on the the surface of the curd, to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely before using. Refrigerate the curd in an airtight container for up to 1 week.