Lemon Curd, Blueberry, Cheesecake Layer Cake

Inspired by this beautiful cake (left) I saw a long time ago on Pinterest, I finally had the opportunity to make a Lemon Curd, Blueberry, Cheesecake Layer Cake. A bit of a title, I know. But delicious. Here are the recipes I used.









Blueberry and lemon cake adapted from Sweetapolita:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups  (200 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1.5 teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (7g) salt
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) sour cream
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon zest
• 2/3 cup 160g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature 

For the Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 180°F. Prepare two 20cm round cake pans with baking paper. Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to larger bowl. Add blueberries and toss to coat them with flour. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.
2. Combine sour cream, milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest in small bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar, until pale yellow and very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined.
4. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries.
5. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for about 10 minutes, then invert onto racks until completely cool. 

Lemon Curd, also from Sweetapolita:
Ingredients
2/3 cup lemon juice (about four lemons)

zest of one lemon
2 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar (200 grams) (7 ounces)
4 tablespoons (60 grams) (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small even cubes

Method
1. Fill a saucepan with 1″ of water, then place a metal bowl on top of the saucepan. You will need to ensure the bowl fits snugly into the top of the saucepan and that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water (important, or your eggs will cook!). You can now remove the bowl and continue with making the curd.
2. Whisk the juice, zest, whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl until smooth. Add the butter cubes to the bowl, but don’t stir.
3. Heat the water in the saucepan over low heat until it simmers (not boils) and place the bowl atop the rim. Stirring gently, but constantly, using heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, cook until the curd has thickened and all of the butter has melted and is incorporated, about 10 minutes (this can vary). To test if the curd is thick enough, remove the spatula or spoon from the curd and check that it’s coated.
4. Strain the curd over a bowl using a fine-mesh sieve. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the curd (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for at least 3 hours.

The Cheesecake layer came from Donna Hay as featured on Masterchef
(NOTE: I only used 2/3 of this mixture for this layer, I used the rest of the mixture to make two mini passionfruit cheesecakes)

330g cream cheese, softened
500g fresh ricotta
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups caster sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
¼ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ tablespoons tablespoons cornflour

1. To make the filling, place the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon rind, juice and vanilla in a food processor. Combine the cornflour and water until smooth and add to the cheese mixture. Process the mixture until smooth.
2. Grease the sides of a 20cm cake tin with a little butter and then pour in the filling. Tap lightly to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and stand the cake in the oven for 1 hour, leaving the door closed. Refrigerate until cold and serve with fresh berries.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 x 250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature
• 300g (2 cups) pure icing sugar
• 120g butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 

Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, butter and lemon juice until smooth. 

To assemble, place a layer of blueberry cake on a cakeboard. Pipe frosting around the edge and spread 1/2-1 cup lemon curd over the cake. Place cheesecake layer on top. Again, pipe frosting around the edge and spread 1/2-1 cup lemon curd over the top. Place blueberry cake on top. Apply a crumb coat of frosting to the entire cake. Place in refrigerator for an hour. Apply a smooth coat of frosting to the sides and top. Spread lemon cord over the top, leaving 1cm around the edge. Pipe a border to complete the cake.

My inspiration for the top came from this picture:

 

fructose free (except in fruit)

The time came for me to give up sugar. It had been delayed by a pregnancy and then adjusting to life with a baby and then holiday season, but after a week long camp where sugary food was on offer five times a day, it was time to cut down. Then the headaches started and I realised it really was a problem for me.

My goal in quitting sugar was really to break the addiction. I didn't like the lack of self control I exhibited when chocolate was nearby and wanted to beat the desire within me. I haven't been hugely strict. At parties or at someone's house I'll have a taste of whatever they've made. Giving up baking made leaving sugar behind hard, but I have (only a month or so into my journey) begun experimenting with stevia, dextrose and rice malt syrup. So far nothing I have produced has been as alluring as Martha Stewart's Ultimate Brownies, but that's the point, right? (my one attempt at fructose free brownies is in the cupboard, about to find its way to the bin...)

I'm having a Tupperware Party on Thursday and I'm planning the dessert menu. As well as fruit and cheese, I'm going to try Banoffee Pie using the caramel sauce recipe from David Gillespie's Sweet Poison Cookbook, whipped cream, bananas and a fructose-free version of Momofuku Milk Bar's crack pie base.

First, make the oat cookie:

oat cookie recipe

makes 1 tray-sized cookie
115g butter, melted
1/3 cup rice malt syrup
3 tbs dextrose powder
1 egg
8g (1/2 cup) flour
120g (1 1/2 cups) rolled oats
0.5g (1/8 tsp) baking powder
0.25g (pinch) baking soda
2g (1/2 tsp) salt

1. heat the oven to 170°C.
2. combine the butter, syrup and dextrose in a bowl. Add the egg and stir well (this can be done with an electric mixer if that is easier for you!)
3. add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until all remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. the dough will be a slightly fluffy, fatty mixture in comparison to your average cookie dough. scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. spray a quarter sheet pan and line with parchment, or just line the pan with a silpat. plop the cookie dough in the center of the pan and, with a spatula, spread it out until it is 1/4 inch thick. the dough won’t end up covering the entire pan; this is ok.
5. bake for 15 minutes, or until it resembles an oatmeal cookie-caramelized on top and puffed slightly but set firmly. cool completely before using. wrapped well in plastic, the oat cookie will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week.

And to make the base using the cookie:

15 g (1 tbs) rice malt syrup
1 g (1/4 tsp) salt
55 g (4 tbs) butter, melted, or as needed


1. heat the oven to 170°C.
2. put the oat cookie, syrup, and salt in a food processor and pulse it on and off until the cookie is broken down into a wet sand. (if you don’t have a food processor, you can fake it till you make it and crumble the oat cookie diligently with your hands.)
3. Add the butter, and knead the butter and ground cookie mixture until moist enough to form into a ball. if it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 14 to 25 g (1 to 1½ tablespoons) butter and knead it in.
4. divide the oat crust evenly between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. using your fingers and the palms of your hands, press the oat cookie crust firmly into each pie tin, making sure the bottom and sides of the tin are evenly covered. bake for 10-15 minutes, until shells begin to brown.

then make it into banoffee:
Cover cooled base with a thin layer of caramel sauce. Whip cream and fold 2 sliced bananas through it. Dollop on top of pie. Top with remainder of sliced banana. Drizzle liberally with caramel sauce.