Our Spring Lunch Menu


Lemon Cake with Raspberry Curd Filling
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • Raspberry Curd (recipe follows)
  • Lemon Buttercream (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: lemon slices, raspberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with baking spray with flour, line with parchment, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest and juice with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, beating to combine.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.
  3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread Raspberry Curd between layers. Spread Lemon Buttercream on top and sides of cake. Garnish with lemon slices and raspberries.

 
Raspberry Curd
 
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients
  • 3 cups frozen raspberries*
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon zest and juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to the container of a blender. Process until smooth, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids. Return mixture to saucepan, and increase heat to medium.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt. Add about ¼ cup hot raspberry mixture to eggs, whisking constantly. Add egg mixture to remaining hot raspberry mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine between each addition. Refrigerate before using, at least 2 hours. (Curd will keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week).
Notes
*Frozen raspberries yield a beautiful, bright red color. Fresh raspberries are fine to use, but the color will be a bit more muted.

 
Lemon Buttercream
 
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy. Add lemon zest and juice, beating until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating well after each addition.