Lemon bites

Celine was in a baking mood, I was almost crawling on the floor with lower back pain. But she made "the sad puppy face",and my hubby said he would help, so how could I say no!
I told them to use the ready pack, Victorian sponge cake mix from the cupboard. And I would be supervising the rest...
Part 1:
So all you need two boxes of sponge cake mix, and fallow the direction from the box.
I had 29p Asda Victorian Sponge Cake, and it did the job well.


While they were fallowing the instruction from the box, I've asked them to make limoncello syrup:
Part 2:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup limoncello
Mix the water & sugar in a sauce pan and let it boil over a medium heat, remove from the heat and let it cool while you are baking the cake, once the syrup is cool add limoncello.






Part 3:
Lemon Swiss meringue buttercream
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
250 gr unsalted butter, @ room temperature
1 Tbsp clear vanilla extract
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
You will need double boiler ( bain marie), combine egg whites and sugar over double boiler, place a candy thermometer and whisk constantly till temperature reaches to 150F.
Remove from the heat , whisk it till its cool to your touch and stiff (like marshmallow melt). Change the whisk to paddle and add butter small amount at a time, ( I really like to use standing mixer), once you add all the butter and it becomes to the consistency you desire add the lemon juice and vanilla.

Part 4 :

Lemon curd

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup double cream

1 cup fresh lemon juiced, strained

1/4 tsp salt


6 eggs whisked to loosen up the yolks & whites.


1 Tbsp lemon zest, finely grated

In a medium size sauce pan, mix first 5 ingredients all together and cook it over low heat, once sugar is dissolved and it started to boil, temper hot lemon mixture into eggs. Add mixture back into sauce pan and continue to cook while stirring constantly until it becomes like a thick custard.

Strain, add zest and cool over an ice bath. Then refrigerate until you need to use.
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Part 5 :
Pour Fondant icing
3 cups confectionery sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 drop of yellow food coloring


Place them all ( except food coloring) over double boiler. Heat til sugar is dissolved and the mixture is lukewarm, stir in the coloring one drop at the time, till you get the color you like. You have to ladle over the cake bites while it is still warm. So make sure you assemble the cake before this step.



Assembling the cake:
After cake is completely cooled, horizontally slice in half with serrated knife.

Use a pastry brush to brush limoncello syrup over the cake first, then spread Swiss meringue with a spatula , fallowed by chilled lemon curd, place the second layer of the cake, and apply the limoncello syrup with brush again.

Slice the cake with a sharp knife 2,5 cm X 2,5 cm mini squares, carefully lift them up and place them on a cookie sheet or parchment paper, you can ladle small amount of pour fondant (icing) over, and decorate them with candied lemon slice or fresh lemon peels.

French Buttercream Icing

2/3 cup / granulated sugar

1/4 cup / 60 gr plain flour

3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup/ 250 gr unsalted butter - cold

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

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In a saucepan, place the milk , flour, salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Turn the heat on, while stirring constantly,cook until it becomes a very thick pudding. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Cut the butter in pieces.

Place the pudding in a bowl, add small pieces of butter one at a time, beat with a hand mixer ( in medium to high speed) until it becomes smooth. At this point you can add vanilla, any other flavoring or food coloring if you like.

Note : You should chill icing at least 10 min. before decorating your cake and cake needs to be completely cooled and iced cake must be refrigerated until serving time.

Coconut frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz full fat cream cheese

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup powder sugar

3/4 sweetened cream of coconut

1 tsp vanilla

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Place the cream cheese in a bowl, add powder sugar and mix it well with wooden spoon. Add the coconut cream vanilla and the butter, with hand blender whisk it it is creamy and fluffy.

It works great with coconut cupcakes, you can use roasted coconut flakes to decorate as well.

Pink Icing

Ingredients
5 egg whites
1/2 cup of water
2 cups of granulated sugar
1 tsp clear vanilla
Food coloring in pink
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How to do:
In a saucepan bring the water and the sugar to boil by stirring occasionally. Let the sugar dissolve and syrup forms to soft ball.
Meanwhile beat the egg whites and the pinch of salt in a grease-free bowl of a standing mixer - you do need both hands :) - to soft peak.
While your mixer is running, slowly pour the hot syrup into egg whites in a stream. Make sure you don't pour on the whisk, it is very hot take a precaution! Keep beating 5 min. and add vanilla and a drop of food coloring. ( I used Wilton coloring gel in pink). Keep going another 2 min. or more till frosting becomes glossy and cool.
You should use this frosting on a cool cake. I use this frosting if I am going serve the cake right away, it doesn't look good day after , even though taste still stays delicious.
You can use icing bag or a spatula to decorate.

Fresh Strawberries & Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients :
200 gr. Full fat cream cheese - room temperature
50 gr. Unsalted batter - chopped & room temperature
3 Tbs. confectionery sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups of fresh strawberries, washed, drained well ,hulled & chopped roughly.

Start mixing cream cheese and vanilla first, when it becomes creamy add butter gradually, it will become really fluffy, and start adding confectionery sugar 1 Tbs. at a time.
Set it at the side. Make sure strawberries drained well and fold in your strawberries gently by using a spoon or spatula. Make sure you don't mash them. Keep it in the fridge at least 10 to 15 min before you use it.