That Limoncello cake

Delicious, delightful and sure to bring you compliments, this divine cake marries limoncello and fresh lemon in an airy harmony that will please even the pickiest of eaters. The marscapone frosting is a must with this dessert, it makes for a sweet, but not over powering compliment to the cake.

What you’ll need:

CAKE: Makes 2 standard 9in round cakes

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup limoncello

• 1 lemon- zested and juiced

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• white chocolate shavings to garnish (Optional)

• FROSTING: Makes probably more than you need

• 16-ounces mascarpone cheese, about 2 cups

• 1 jar lemon curd (~1 1/4 cup)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups very cold heavy cream

• 2/3 cups powdered sugar

  
  The process:

  Preheat over to 350f. Grease two 9in cake pans and line with parchment paper (this is important so that the cakes come out of the pans easily and don’t get stuck).

  In a small bowl of cup, mix together the juice and zest of one lemon and the limoncello.

  In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients well.

  In a third and final, large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add vanilla, then add eggs, one at a time and mix well after each addition. Into this bowl, add in about half the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Then add in butter milk, mix again until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients, mix, then add in the lemon/limoncello mixture and combine until just mixed. The batter will be pretty thick and not runny at all.

  Divide evenly into the two cake pans. Bake for 20-30minutes, checking first at 20 minutes and then every 5 minutes until cakes are done. This may vary some based on your stove. You’ll know your cake is done when you can stick a tooth pick into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean. If there is batter on the toothpick, it need more time. Use your best judgement, I have faith in you. You will be a master baker in no time.

  Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

  While cooling, make the frosting.

• Frosting:

  Mix together the marscapone and lemon curd until well incorporated.

  Whip cream until soft peaks, then add in the powdered sugar, slowly so you don’t deflate the cream.

  Whip until firm peaks, you want it to be strong to stand up to the marscapone and lemon curd.

  Take a large dollop of the whipped cream and fold it in the the marscapone/lemon curd mix until well incorporated. Then add in the remainder of the whipped cream, folding in until fully mixed. Store in fridge until cake is fully cooled. (this stuff itself is delicious with fresh berries, if you don’t use it all on the cakes).

  
  Once the cake is cooled, frost cake as you see fit, and enjoy your new found fan club when your friends start singing your cake-cooking praises.

  Enjoy.