DESSERT

Grandmother's Buttery Lemon Light Cake

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) Darigold Butter softened
  • 1/3 cup Darigold milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

TOPPING

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

FILLING

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
  • 1 tablespoon Darigold Butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir or sift together dry ingredients; add alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel and juice. Divide evenly into prepared pans.

For topping: Beat egg whites until almost stiff; gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla. Spread evenly over batter in pans. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake for 30 minutes; let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove to wire rack, meringue side up.

For lemon filling: Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in top of double boiler. Add egg yolk, water and lemon juice. Cook over hot water until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add lemon peel and butter. Cover and cool.

To assemble cake, place one layer on serving plate, meringue side up; cover with lemon filling. Top with second layer, meringue side up. Refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours before serving.

RECIPE YIELD/SERVING SIZE

Serves 6-8.