Happy Birthday Caitlin!
May 17th was Caitlin's Birthday! And as is our tradition I made her a fabulous cake. Last year she made me a six layer rainbow cake! This year I went with Citrus Poppy-seed Cake from Martha Stewart Desserts, with an Ombre Marshmallow Fondant icing.
It's a three layer cake with a delicious cream cheese icing in the middle. Martha's recipe calls for a lemon glaze to cover, but I went with fondant instead.
It was my first time covering a cake with fondant, and it was tough!
There was definitely a pretty side, and a not so pretty side. But still delicious.
I made the fondant icing and cream cheese icing ahead of time, then baked the cake and assembled on the same day.
I made the fondant icing and cream cheese icing ahead of time, then baked the cake and assembled on the same day.
Citrus poppy-seed cake
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
7 lrg eggs room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk room temperature
1 tblsp lemon zest
1 tblsp lime zest
1 tblsp orange zest
1/3 cup poppy-seeds
1. Heat oven to 350 C; arrange two racks in the centre of the oven. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Butter pans, then dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter until lightened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat until colour has lightened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, a little at a time, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, a little of each at a time. Add in citrus zest and poppy-seeds.
5. Divide batter between the three pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick into the centre comes out clean, rotating the pans half way round half way through the bake time. Let cool on wire racks.
6. Once cakes are cool lay one layer on a cake plate. Spread enough cream cheese icing to cover cake layer within one inch of edge. Press next layer of cake on iced layer, pushing icing to edge. Repeat for next layer.
7. Roll out fondant and wrap around cake. (I don't have the best tips for this as my cake had some seams and winkles. A crumb layer of icing helps the fondant stick to the cake.)
8. Decorate top of cake with some more citrus zest!
Since I was covering the cake with fondant instead of a lemon glaze, I added lemon juice to the icing to keep the citrus taste evident. I only used a regular 250 g container of cream cheese and added the lemon juice and zest of what I had on hand. The butter and sugar I also cut to about half. In truth I didn't measure. But here is martha's recipe with my citrus additions.
Lemon cream cheese frosting
12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
6 tblsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/2 tsp orange zest
juice of one lemon
1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter, and cream until smooth. Add lemon juice.
2. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until completely combined. Add zest.
3. Beat frosting until smooth and fluffy. Chill for three hours or overnight.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter until lightened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat until colour has lightened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, a little at a time, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, a little of each at a time. Add in citrus zest and poppy-seeds.
5. Divide batter between the three pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick into the centre comes out clean, rotating the pans half way round half way through the bake time. Let cool on wire racks.
6. Once cakes are cool lay one layer on a cake plate. Spread enough cream cheese icing to cover cake layer within one inch of edge. Press next layer of cake on iced layer, pushing icing to edge. Repeat for next layer.
7. Roll out fondant and wrap around cake. (I don't have the best tips for this as my cake had some seams and winkles. A crumb layer of icing helps the fondant stick to the cake.)
8. Decorate top of cake with some more citrus zest!
Since I was covering the cake with fondant instead of a lemon glaze, I added lemon juice to the icing to keep the citrus taste evident. I only used a regular 250 g container of cream cheese and added the lemon juice and zest of what I had on hand. The butter and sugar I also cut to about half. In truth I didn't measure. But here is martha's recipe with my citrus additions.
Lemon cream cheese frosting
12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
6 tblsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/2 tsp orange zest
juice of one lemon
1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter, and cream until smooth. Add lemon juice.
2. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until completely combined. Add zest.
3. Beat frosting until smooth and fluffy. Chill for three hours or overnight.
*If you would like to cover with lemon glaze here is the recipe.
Lemon glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3-4 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp poppy-seeds
1. Place sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually add lemon juice, stirring with a fork until smooth. The mixture should be slightly thick but pourable. Stir in poppy-seeds. Pour over cake and let it run down sides.
this was so insanely delicious! the pictures almost don't do it justice!
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