The 850-Calorie Cake That's Totally Worth It

I in i trial had a friend who spent one-half her costless fourth dimension researching clever ways to cutting calories inwards desserts: applesauce instead of oil, chickpeas instead of flour, prune puree inwards lieu of butter. Sorry, but I desire REAL dessert when I indulge. Not some sugar-free, fat-free substitute that forces you lot to pretend you're satisfied. I'd rather swallow the calorie-packed existent bargain in addition to walk away totally thrilled amongst my decision. 

Which is why I had no occupation eating this lemon cake at the Steelhead Diner inwards Seattle (the photograph higher upward is my replication of it):

The restaurant, close Pike's Place, is known for its seafood, which meant the desserts were pretty much the solely matter on the card I could eat. (I don't swallow whatever form of fish or shellfish.) I can't tell I was disappointed, because I'd been craving a tangy lemon dessert for days. I was pleased the minute yesteryear waitress ready my plate downward inwards front end of me: The presentation solitary was impeccable. 

This layered lemon creation may await tiny, but it was thence loaded downward amongst rich ingredients—mascarpone cream, lemon curd, white chocolate shavings—that it undoubtedly packed a meal's worth of calories. And it was incredible. I initially intended to part it amongst my dining companions, but that didn't happen, obviously. 

I was thence blown away that I had to test to recreate it at home. I establish an former Epicurious recipe amongst the center elements: homemade lemon curd, a lemon-infused mascarpone layer, in addition to 850 calories per serving. Mmm.

The recipe is for a criterion layer cake, but I wanted to mimic the Steelhead Diner Lemon Cake downward to the final detail. So I baked the cake batter inwards a muffin tin, creating cute lilliputian cake discs, perfect for stacking. 

This is a really laborious dessert to make. But the mascarpone filling in addition to lemon curd are totally worth the effort—they gustation precisely similar the diner's versions. The cake's texture form of came out funky, a lilliputian combat tough, although nonetheless chewy. But I yell back I but either over-mixed it or overcooked it. So run on amongst caution! 

Lemon Cake amongst Lemon Curd in addition to Mascarpone

Adapted from Epicurious

What You Need

Cake

6 large eggs, separated

14 Tbsp sugar

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, thence measured)

1/4 tsp salt

Syrup

1/2 loving cup sugar

1/2 loving cup boiling water

1/4 loving cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon Curd

1 loving cup sugar

3/4 loving cup fresh lemon juice

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter, cutting into 1/2-inch cubes

Filling in addition to Frosting

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

3/4 loving cup sugar

3 containers (8 oz. each) chilled mascarpone cheese

White chocolate shavings

Put It All Together

1. Position rack inwards the middle of your oven, in addition to preheat to 350° F. 

2. Using an electrical mixer, compaction the egg yolks in addition to seven Tbsp sugar, until the mixture is really thick, close iv minutes. Then inwards a split bowl, compaction the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining seven Tbsp carbohydrate to the whites, i tablespoon at a time, in addition to compaction until strong in addition to glossy. Fold one-half of the egg whites into the yolk mixture, thence stir inwards one-half of the flour in addition to 1/4 tsp salt.  Fold inwards the remaining whites, followed yesteryear the remaining flour. Mix until but combined. 

3. Coat a muffin tin amongst cooking spray, thence spoon close 1.5 Tbsp of batter into each cup. (You'll in all probability involve 2 muffin tins.) Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool inwards pan on rack, thence run a knife some the border of each cake disc to loosen them. 

2. Prepare the lemon curd: Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, in addition to egg yolks inwards a medium metallic bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making certain the bottom of the bowl doesn't comport upon the water. Whisk constantly until thickened in addition to a candy thermometer reads 160° F. Remove bowl from water, thence add together the butter, whisking until melted. Transfer 1 loving cup of the curd to a pocket-size bowl, in addition to reserve the remaining curd for the filling. Press plastic wind straight onto the surface of each curd. Chill overnight. (I but chilled mine for a few hours, in addition to it was totally fine, FYI.) 

3. Make the syrup: Place carbohydrate inwards a pocket-size metallic bowl. Add 1/2 loving cup boiling water; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir inwards lemon juice.

4. Prepare the filling in addition to frosting: Beat the whipping cream in addition to carbohydrate inwards a large bowl until peaks form. Add the mascarpone to the lemon curd you lot reserved for the filling. Whisk until blended, thence flexure the whipped cream into the lemon-mascarpone mixture. 

5. Prepare for serving: Spread a spoonful of the lemon-mascarpone mixture inwards the middle of a dessert plate, forming a circle but larger than i of your cake discs. Place a cake disc on overstep of the filling, amongst the apartment side facing up. Use a pastry brush to spread syrup over the surface of the cake, thence spoon on a layer of lemon curd, followed yesteryear a layer of the lemon-mascarpone filling. Repeat amongst a 2nd cake disc. Sprinkle white chocolate shavings on overstep in addition to on the plate.