Lemon Layer Cake; and the verdict is...

A test kitchen is just that.  A place to test recipes until they are just right.  This blog, and my kitchen are not test kitchens.

I have to get that through my own head, own it.  Not all the cakes in this book are going to work out, not at least as they are presented.  On this Lemon Layer cake Pg 58 in the book Up Close on Cakes really doesn't work as portrayed.

Let me back up a bit here.  In my last post, I took blame for not using the proper pans, and not following the recipe to the letter.  I still own that error.  Now, the taste testers have weighed in.  The cake is dense, lemony, and the whip cream doesn't lend itself to layering. In fact, two of the taste testers suggested the cake reminded them of sponge cake a little. As I did some research the recipe for this Lemon Layer cake is very similar to some Bouche de Noel or Swiss Roll cake recipes.

Now this cake was a bit stiff for that, but the recipe itself I feel is doomed to be a layer cake at it's very core.

Wet ingredients in baking are:
Eggs
Butter
Lemon Juice
Sugar
This recipe calls for approximately 1 cup of wet ingredients.
Now the dry ingredients in this recipe are 1 Cup All Purpose Flour.  So we have approximately equal parts Wet and Dry, with only the Eggs as leavening agents.  This cake will not poof up at all.  There won't be the internal crumb structure for a layer cake such as I and most people I know of are used to.

Deep down I really didn't expect every cake to be a home run.  So it shouldn't come as a surprise that this cake struck out.

Across the board, the taste testers' agreed, this cake while tasty, and lemony, just didn't work.

While the recipe may have other applications in different forms, I can safely say I will not re-make this cake (yes, in my earlier post I stated I would try, and follow the recipe with regard to pan size, I simply at this point don't feel that will make a difference large enough to overcome what I see as flaws in the recipe.)

The new plan, is to draw a new cake in a few days and move on from the dust and ashes.

Happy Baking all!
Adam