Lemon Praline Cake

Lemon Praline Cake

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This tart and crunchy Lemon Praline Cake is a lemon lover’s fix! Lemon buttercream and lemon curd nestled over a honey sponge cake. Then you add the pralines… excuse me, I have to go make this cake NOW!

Ingredients

Cake

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey

Pralines

• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Lemon Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Lemon Curd (You can use jarred if you do not want to make your own)

• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 baking pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again.
2. In a medium bowl sift the flour and baking powder 3 times. Reserve.
3. Whisk egg and sugar with an electric mixer over high speed for 8-10 minutes, or until pale, thick, and tripled in volume.
4. Sift half the flour mixtures over the egg mixture and gently fold with a spoon. Repeat with the remaining flour.
5. Mix to combine butter and honey. Add to the cake batter and gently fold.
6. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or until golden and springy. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

Prepare the pralines

1. Increase the oven temperature to 400º F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease it. Sprinkle sugar evenly on the baking tray. Cook for 12- 15 minutes, or until sugar is melted and golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle almonds over the melted sugar. Allow cooling. When cooled break the praline into pieces and process in a food processor until fine.

Prepare the frosting

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed cream butter for 8 - 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Beat in lemon extract, salt, and heavy whipping cream until desired spreading consistency is reached, about 2 minutes.

Prepare Lemon Curd

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until thick enough to hold marks from the whisk, and the first bubble appears on the surface, about 6 minutes.

Assemble the cake

1. Carefully cut the sponge cake horizontally into 2 equal parts. Trim the edges if necessary to make it even. Spread lemon curd, frosting, then the second layer of lemon curd over one layer and sprinkle with pralines. Repeat with the other layer, finishing with a layer of frosting and pralines.