Lemon-Lemon Curd Baby Blocks Cake

baby shower building block cakes

We as children had a relatively minimal amount of input in what was for dinner or dessert we either ate what was made or didn't eat that night. So as a general rule me and my brothers weren't very picky eaters. But on our birthdays, now that was special. We could choose whatever we wanted for dinner and dessert and that was what everyone got whether the liked it or not, we generally did. It usually got a little tricky when it came to my sister and I's birthdays. Since they're only two days apart we typically celebrated them together; so it would usually end up being a surf and turf kind of meal, or such. Without fail however my older brother Jared would always request homemade lemon meringue pie for his dessert. So for his son's shower I made a cake version of it. This lemon cake has a lemon curd filling and a whip cream frosting. Making it as close to lemon meringue pie in flavor as I could get in cake form. 

• Cake Ingredients:
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2  cups  sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
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• Cake Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans or 1 (8 by 13 by 2-inch) pan. You may also line the bottom with wax paper, if desired.
  Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon zest.
  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl. In another bowl, combine lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
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• When baking the cakes cut a piece of wax paper the size of the bottom of the pan and place it in the bottom after greasing the pan. Pour the cake batter in and bake. The wax paper works as a liner so when the cake cools and you're ready to pop it out of the pan merely run a knife around the edges and turn upside down the cake will come right out. Just don't forget to peal the wax paper off the bottom of the cake. 

• Curd Filling Ingredients:
• 6 large egg yolks
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• 12 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
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• Curd Directions:
• Prepare an ice bath fitted with a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together yolks, zest, juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring until incorporated. Pass through a fine mesh sieve into prepared medium bowl. Stirring frequently, let stand until cool. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent skin from forming; wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
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lemon cake trimmings and scraps

• For the baby shower I wanted to go with a baby theme for the shape of the cake. So I made blocks. Little building blocks  that would spell out his name. Since I was cutting the cakes down to make the block shape it inevitably left scraps and trimmings to be either composted or consumed (for an ideas of how to use the cake scraps see my "Strawberry Volcano" post). What makes cakes great is even though there is a distinct recipe you must follow, after its out of the oven you can do whatever grabs your fancy from blocks to bath tubs and diapers to dinosaurs it is completely up to you creative whim. 

cake blocks after frosting and before decorating

Whip Cream Frosting Ingredients:

8 ounces reduced-fat Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract 

1/2 Teaspoon Almond extract

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Whip Cream Frosting Directions:

Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and almond in a large mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. once it is smooth, while the mixture is still mixing slowly pour about half of the heavy whipping cream into the bowl. let blend completely and stop and scrape bottom and edges. Continue whipping and add remaining cream when completely blended scrape bottom and sides once more. Whip frosting again until  it can hold a firm peak.  then frost and enjoy. Frosting can be refrigerated, frozen and left at room temperature without melting, (however for health safety always store in a refrigerator for no more than five days).

Decorated "Kyan" building block cakes

Frosting an decorating is always an adventure. Especially today since as of eighteen hours ago I had literally never used a frosting piper before in my life. Risks are taken, adventures are embarked on and decorating endeavors underwent. And really the only thing that matters when all is said and done is; Was it good?

cakes after the first wave of consumption