Lemon Curd

Few things in life are as delicious and simple as cake, but making lemon curd is one of them. And of course, it is a perfect complement to a white cake.

First of all, a white cake is simply a yellow cake without the egg yolks. Basically any cake recipe that calls for whole eggs can be made with just the whites if you wanted to, but I have my opinions on why you should limit your choices. Besides, separating eggs can be difficult (cold separate much easier than room temperature) and really only makes sense if you are on a restricted diet or planning on using the eggs yolks for another part of the cake, like, say, a lemon curd filling. Since this recipe for lemon curd takes 4 egg yolks, I suggest going ahead and making your cake with 4 egg whites. No waste and a better cake. Trust me.

The lemon curd is a very simple combination of egg yolks, sugar, butter, lemon juice and zest. Some people throw in a little salt too, but I just prefer to use salted butter (going against the grain of my baking colleagues here) because, well, that’s what I use for a majority of my baking anymore after discovering my results improved with it rather than unsalted butter and adding salt. If you only have unsalted butter, just throw in a pinch of kosher salt.

Lemon Curd

4 egg yolks
1¼ cups sugar
5 tablespoons butter
Juice of 3 medium lemons (about 3 to 4 oz)
Zest of 3 medium lemons

Zest the lemons with a microplaner into a small bowl or airtight container before juicing. In a noncorrosive stainless steel pan, beat sugar and egg yolks until thoroughly combined; a good vigorous stir with a wooden spoon for a minute will do the trick. Add butter (a little more or less won’t hurt, like, say, as little as 2 tablespoons or up to a full stick) and lemon juice and turn the heat to medium-low to medium, stirring constantly. The mixture will start out opaque, turn slightly translucent, then back to opaque before it is done, and the process can take only a few minutes to almost fifteen depending on a multitude of factors. Do not allow to boil or the eggs will curdle! When the mixture starts to thicken noticeably and coats the back of the spoon, stir more quickly to prevent curdling. Of course, one way to do this is to allow it to boil then press it through a strainer to remove any curdled egg bits, which is foolproof because then you know the eggs are completely cooked and the mixture will have thickened properly. The other is simply to not let it happen. Anyway, when it has thickened well, pour into the bowl or airtight container with the zest and stir to combine before wrapping it with plastic wrap or a lid. I sometimes find that pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the top of the curd prevents a skin from forming and recommend this to people with food texture issues. Allow to cool completely in the fridge.

For filling a cake, especially a white cake, I like to tort the cake layers for a more generous filling to cake ratio. A regular batch of cake will make two 8 inch round layers. Cut each layer in half either freehand with a knife or a specialized cake torting tool (a couple bucks at a craft store) and start layering the cake onto a plate. Divide your curd into thirds, spreading it from edge to edge on each layer before putting the top on and frosting and decorating.

Of course, lemon curd is delicious on its own, or used in place of jams for scones and biscuits. Or again, on its own… maybe topped with some whipped cream.