Limoncello IPA Cake

Reduce the amount of lemon juice to suit your taste. The cake mix itself is an American/Cupcake style batter mix, so do not worry if it appears runny. If you aren’t lucky enough to get hold of Limoncello IPA, try White Tips, Ratchet or a Wheat Beer/Saison/Pale of your choice.

Recipe courtesy of Karl Bingham.

The Cake

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl or a stand mixer cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest.
• Beat the mixture together until light and fluffy.
• In separate small bowl, mix the Limoncello IPA and buttermilk (it will curdle, this is OK).
• Alternate between adding 1/3 of the flour mixture then 1/3 of the beer mixture to the creamed butter etc bowl and mix until well combined
• In case the above point didn’t make sense:
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed mix and whisk until combined.
• Then add 1/3 of the beer mixture and whisk until combined.
• Then repeat starting again with the flour mixture
• Next in a clean mixing bowl add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whip until stiff peaks form.
• Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the cake batter mixture and gently fold to combine.
• Once combined, gently fold in half of the remaining egg whites.
• Finally fold in then the remainder of the egg whites.
• Grease and flour three 9-inch (23cm) cake tins
• 8 inch (20cm) cake tins will work as well; for deeper layers,
• Divide the batter between the three pans.
• Bake at 180° for 20 – 30 minutes or until the tops have just started to brown.
• If the centre is still runny cover in baking paper and bake for a further 5 – 10 minutes
• Allow to cool to room temperature before removing from the tins.

The Lemon Curd

• While the cake is baking, it’s time to make the lemon curd.
• In a pan off heat, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, Limoncello IPA, and corn flour.
• Add the butter cubes, place the pan over medium high heat. Whisk frequently until thicken to a ‘custard’ like consistency, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat, add to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

The Icing

• To make the butter icing, add the butter, sugar, and zest to a bowl and whisk until very well combined, light and fluffy.
• Once light a fluffy add one tablespoon at a time; the lemon juice, beer and milk, allowing the butter icing to re-mix to a fluff consistency between additions
• Make sure the frosting is very well whipped.

The Build

• To assemble the cake, add one layer of cake to a serving plate. Top with the lemon curd.
• Then add the 2nd cake layer and top with some more of the lemon curd before adding the final layer of cake.
• Top the final layer of cake with the butter cream.
• Chill until ready to serve.