Paula's Lemon Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Show: Paula's Home CookingEpisode: Newlyweds

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (140)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(140)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
16 to 20 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 1 hr 10 min

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Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon wedge, for garnish
Mint sprig, for garnish

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling:

8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 lemons, zest grated and juiced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

To make the cake: Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter, then dropping flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

To make the frosting: Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

To make the filling: Place the ingredients in the double boiler over boiling water. Don't let top pan touch the water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To assemble, add 1 tablespoon of filling to the cake pedestal. Run hands along the side of the cake to remove excess crumbs. Place the cake layers on the pedestal, spreading filling between the layers and on top. Spread the sides and top of the cake with the remaining filling. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Paula's Lemon Cake
Nicci Orlando, FL 10-15-2009
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Awesome cake
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Awesome cake. If your complaining about anything to do with this cake... you did it wrong! Thanks Paula.
recipe Paula's Lemon Cake
Barry Washington, DC 08-20-2009
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Great Cake Recipe BUT.....
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

You need to take your time when making this cake. Don't expect to have it ready in 30 minutes. You need to make the cakes... allow them to cool and rest, make the filling allow it to cool. Then make the frosting and assemble the cake it took me 24 hours to put it all together. Also the cake needs to rest after being made. The ingredients need to come together. It is a moderately sweeter cake than a box cake but that really is part of the charm of the cake. because it does have preservatives it has a shelf life of about a week after that it will start to come apart and taste dry. It is a very big cake. Make sure you have guest over to have some.Read more
recipe Paula's Lemon Cake
Mary Mechnicsville, VA 07-08-2009
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A Waste of Time and Money!
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I am an experienced cook and this cake was a total disaster! The cake fell apart and the icing never solidified. The lemon... filling was delicious but lemon curd would work just as well. Don't waste your time or money on this cake or the expensive ingredients. Paula, you should be ashamed of yourself!Read more
recipe Paula's Lemon Cake
null null, CA 07-03-2009
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good lemon cake
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

This was good, but the best lemon layer cake is on the Cook's Illustrated web site.
recipe Paula's Lemon Cake
teresa pensacola, FL 06-30-2009
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thanks paula
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

wanted to thank you for showing this reciepe. i have been looking for it for several yrs. My mother use to make this cake,... it was always my favorite growing up. She didn't put the frosting on it, she used the flling on top of it and let in run down the sides. This is a great cake. Again thank youRead more
recipe Paula's Lemon Cake
ahmia sanfranciso, CA 06-27-2009
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how nasty
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

eww how nasty u so stupid,dum,and what a idiot ima punch everybody and mama for saing thisdog* is good