I’m wondering if Rose’s lemon curd has to be refrigerated while in the cake as a filling.  While cooking it, it is supposed to reach 196 degrees.  I have a wedding cake order with lemon curd and am wondering about it setting out for too long?

What would you suggest?  If it is not safe for that long, could I use Cobasan?

Thanks!

Hi Cathy - page 142 of The Wedding Cake Book by Dede Wilson says you can use lemon curd as a filling between layers, or mix into buttercream.  She says you should make it a day ahead and chill it overnighte before using.  I’m sure if you make a nice buttercream dam around the circumferance of your cake layers, the lemon curd won’t leak.

She doesn’t specifically state how long you can store it at room temperature, but Rose has addressed this on the blog a couple of times - basically because the lemon curd is so high in sugar and acid, you don’t have to worry about it being unrefrigerated.  As a matter of fact, In England, when the recipe was first developed, there was no refrigeration so it was usually stored in a cool spot in the kitchen.

Thank you, Patricia. 

I had never heard to be concerned about it until I read in a book last night, Cake Art, published by the Culinary Institute of America, that if a cake is to be on display for more than two hours, it should not have curd filling.  Maybe they are just being overly-cautious? 

I have heard with other icings that the amount of sugar stabilized the other ingredients, so what DeDe says sounds right.