who doesn't like a hibiscus, whipped lemon curd cake?
Last year, while searching for the perfect Easter-inspired recipe, nothing was fitting the bill. Everything was either too sweet, not sweet enough, or just not right? So I did what any kitchen confident kid does when they can't find the perfect recipe - adapt one.
The hibiscus in the cake gives it a naturally tart taste, and strangely blue tint (due to the chemical reaction in the baking process). The lemon curd, a bit sweeter and fluffer, easily offsets the denser cake. So, if you are looking for a funky, naturally blue/purple, tart and sweet cake - I highly recommend giving this one a go.
I adapted Molly Yeh's Vanilla Cake recipe and the Joy of Baking's Lemon Curd recipe.
Cake Ingredients
1 3/4 c sugar
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp each: baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c flavorless oil, like canola
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c boiling water
1 large handful hibiscus petals
Frosting Ingredients
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh (not bottled) lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (4 grams) lemon zest(The yellow outer skin of the lemon)
1 cup whipping cream
let's make a cake!
preheat oven to 350.
grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry except the hibiscus ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients except for the boiling water. Begin to steep all but 10 hibiscus petals and a small amount of hibiscus dust in the boiling water, for around 10 minutes. Strain the water, and chop the wet petals until they are no larger than the tip of a finger. reheat the water until boiling. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in the boiling water and wet, chopped hibiscus. Don't worry, it will be a thin batter! Pour into cake pans and bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes.
Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn onto a cooling rack.
Start the lemon curd while the cakes are cooling. In a stainless steel bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, whisking or stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes pale in color and quite thick (like a hollandaise sauce or sour cream) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C on a thermometer). This will take around 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, whip the 1 cup of whipping cream to stiff peaks. Slowly fold the whipping cream into the lemon curd until it is all incorporated.
to combine
Simply start stacking that bad boy up! I usually like to level my cake layers first with a bread knife, which helps keeps the entire cake even. Once you have your first layer where you want it, simply spoon on or pipe on your frosting until it is even across the top of the layer, around 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Then place your second layer on top. A trick to get less crumbs in the icing is to do a 'crumb coat,' or a thin layer of icing and then place the entire cake in the freezer. After around 30 minutes, take the cake out to do the second, thicker layer. All the crumbs will have frozen in the first layer, and your cake will look perfect!
I like to decorate this cake with a few slices of lemon left over from the lemon curd recipe, along with the set aside hibiscus leaves and powder. It would also be great with candied hibiscus or candied lemon if you feel brave enough to make either (or have it in your local grocery).