Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake

I can't get enough of meyer lemons right now.  They have such a beautiful color, pack a ton of flavor, and add so much brightness to desserts.  To me they're like a little burst of sunshine in winter.  I picked up a few pounds of them this week, and the first thing I did was make a big batch of meyer lemon curd. I've made many different desserts using meyer lemons, but for some reason it always go back to curd.  I love the silky texture of it, and how it really showcases the flavor of the meyer lemons.
I wanted to use the lemon curd in a layer cake that would be light, bright, and bursting with flavor.  I really think chiffon cake fits that job description perfectly.  It is so unbelievably light, not too sweet, and packed with tons of citrus goodness.  It lets the curd shine, but definitely holds its own.  The last thing I made for this triple lemon layer cake was some boozy meyer lemon syrup.  I wasn't kidding when I said I can't get enough meyer lemons right now!  I made a simple syrup using lemon juice, and then added a few tablespoons of Grand Marnier to it.  The Grand Marnier really adds a nice bite to the syrup.  After slicing the cake I brushed each layer with the syrup, and filled it with the curd.  Once assembled this cake is like a lemon dream.  I love how the lemon curd just kind of peeks out through the layers of cake.  I topped it with some fresh whipped cream and loads of blueberries and blackberries.  It's like a little taste of Spring right in the middle of January!            

Amazing how much flavor you get from the zest of just one meyer lemon, and look at the beautiful color on them!

Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake

• 5 egg yolks
• 3 oz. vegetable oil
• zest & juice of 3 meyer lemons
• 5.5 oz. cake flour
• 1/2t. salt
• 2 oz. sugar
• 1 & 1/2 t. baking powder
• 5 egg whites
• 6 oz. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pans by greasing ONLY THE BOTTOM.  Recipe makes 10" cake.  I made one 8" and one 6" from this recipe.
2. Whisk together yolks, oil, and lemon juice & zest.
3. Sift together cake flour, 2 oz. sugar, & baking powder.
4. Add dries to yolk mixture and stir together till there are no lumps.  I use a whisk for this.
5. Prepare a meringue with egg whites and 6 oz. sugar.  Whip the meringue until it is stiff and holds it shape.  
6. Gently fold the meringue into the batter & pour into the prepared pans.
7. 6" cake bakes approx. 25-30 minutes. An 8" cake bakes approx 35 minutes. A 10" cake will bake approx. 40 minutes.
8. Once cakes were completely cooled, I removed them from cake pans, wrapped them in plastic, and popped them in the freezer over night.

Meyer Lemon Curd

• 8 egg yolks
• 1 & 1/4 cups sugar
• zest of 1 meyer lemon
• 3/4 cup meyer lemon juice
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened.  Do not boil.
2. Remove from heat and strain.
3. Once curd is cool, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Boozy Meyer Lemon Syrup

• 1/4 cup meyer lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 - 2T. Grand Marnier

1. Combine lemon juice, water, and sugar in saucepan.
2. Bring to a soft boil just to dissolve sugar.
3. Remove from heat, stir in Grand Marnier, and refrigerate till ready to use.

Assembly

1. Remove cake from freezer and slice into 3 layers.
2. Brush bottom layer with syrup and then layer the curd.
3. Repeat with the second layer.
4. Top with final cake layer and garnish.  I topped it with whipped cream and lots of blackberries & blueberries.

*To make your lemon curd go further you can fold whipped cream into it.