Well…as I continue to cook my way through Rose’s Heavenly Cakes…I am constantly amazed.  Last night was Woody’s Lemon Layer Cake (Was that the exact name of the cake?  I don’t have my book with me).  I work at one clinic once a month, and bring a cake for the birthday of anyone who may have had a birthday since the last time I was there, taking a request from the birthday girl/boy.  Well, tomorrow is clinic day, and the birthday request was for “anything Lemon”.  Perfect opportunity to take this new recipe out for a test drive.

As I Looked at the recipe I noted the unusual method and ingredients for the buttercream, I had never seen a recipe like this before.  I also noted that it takes a long time, requiring a 45 minute chill in the fridge and then standing 2 1/2 hours before beating and incorporating the curd.  I had already made the lemon curd over the weekend but It was 8:30 PM and I was just getting started….AHHHHHHHHHHH!  I decided to chill the white chocolate/egg/butter mixture in an ice bath, stirring constantly and checking with an instant read thermometer till I got to the required 65 degrees…this took about 20 minutes…so I cut out some time there.  Then I baked the layers while the butter cream was standing for the 2 1/2 hours. 

Let me first say that this is an unusally rich, soft, and delicious buttercream.  Literally like nothing I’ve ever tasted.  It is quite soft but piped nicely.  (I did my best to keep it and my hands cool).  It tastes equally of white chocolate and lemon and the Green and Blacks white chocolate with all the little specks of vanilla is sooooo luxurious.

Since it was rather late at night, I didn’t do my usual decorating. I just ran an icing comb around the sides and piped a shell border. 
There is a tiny dab of curd on top of each shell. I swirled the last portion of curd into the icing on the top.  The happy birthday inscription will be added tonight after I call the clinic because I’m not sure of the spelling of the name- Cathy with a “C” or Kathy with a “K”.  Won’t have a full report on taste until sometime tomorrow…but I think it will be just delicious.

Lucky, lucky Kathy/Cathy!!!  She must have the same tastes as I have, because i would love to get my teeth into that, Bill!  I think your decoration is just right, not too much, but enough to make it special as a birthday cake.  Every cake I see from the new book I want to try immediately, there is so much choice in this new book, and so far I haven’t been disappointed with any I have made.

Bill, even without your “usual decorating”, the cake looks great! Looking forward to the taste review.

Thanks Jeannette and Rozanne!  I have another cake to do for Friday!  Trying to rest up between now and thursday night for another 2 AM baking run.

Bill, your cake looks delicious - how could it be otherwise?  Thanks so much for sharing the info about the buttercream - I think this cake has just made a big leap up the to-make list and is now near the top!  Can’t wait for your taste report.  BTW, you are a huge inspiration.

Bill, beautiful cake!!! Simple but very pretty. It does sound like a very rich cake, I think it takes 14 egg yolks or something close to that amount. I believe the name of the cake is “Woody’s Lemon Luxury Layer Cake.” I will make this cake on Nov 14th for the HCB bake-a-long. I can’t wait!

Annie:  An inspiration? LOL Just baking my way through the book like the rest of us obsessive Rose fans.  Thanks again!

Bill, it looks good.  Looking forward to your tasting report because is one of the cakes on my To-Do list.  I wonder how it would compare to the one I made this weekend (white chocolate whisper with lemon mousseline)?  I was initially going to make this but the waiting time you were talking about discouraged me from trying this out this time around because I was short on time.  Now that I know the ice bath tricks work, that would make it easier.  Thanks!

Jess

This cake takes a long time.  be prepared.  Chilling the egg yolk, butter, white chocolate mixture in the ice bath cut out about 20 min to a half hour, not that much in the scheme of things.  The flavor of the buttercream is not that strongly lemon, but combined with the cake (which has zest in it), the curd filling, and the curd swirled into the frosting, the overall cake will probably be pretty lemony. 

I love lemon mousseline, and this buttercream doesn’t have that strong lemon flavor, it is richer (much) and more subtle in its lemon-ness.

I look forward to the tasting tomorrow.

Bill, it’s beautiful!  Can’t believe this is only your late-night, not-up-to-the-usual-standard decorating job!

Your tasting notes (comparing it to mousseline) and descriptions of the texture and time required for the buttercream are so very helpful, just the sort of info I always hope to be able to find on a new recipe.  Thanks so much!

Bill, the cake looks wonderful.  You ought to be called the “midnight Baker”!

Bill, so glad someone like you has put heart and soul making and describing this buttercream.  When I made it, it literally shot me to heaven with the Golden Dream Wedding Cake, my 4th preview for Rose.

Just wanted to put my 2 cents that the slower the cooling/chilling process, the most temperature stable and smooth cocoa crystals are formed, which is a plus whenever with this bc or with ganache!

And the flavor report on the new Lemon Luxury Cake…Absolutely delicious.  Everyone at the clinic loved it.  I thought that the flavor of the white chocolate would be more pronounced…and I was concerned that it might not be “lemon-y” enough for someone who was looking for a “LEMON CAKE”.  But that is not the case.  The white choclate is there,in the background, and adds a delicious dimension to the flavor of the cake, but the overall effect is one of rich Luxury and Lemon.

It was a hit!

Great to hear, Bill.  When I find a recipe that is a big hit I write ‘make again and again’ beside the title - with the new book this list is getting longer and longer and longer…..

Looks decadent!

Look at all the lemony goodness oozing right off my computer screen.  It looks utterly divine Bill.  Oh, and your less than “usual” decor. is fantastic!