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Royal Wedding Cake

Yield: 15-20

Author: Sarah Truesdell

My take on the Meghan & Harry's wedding cake, inspired by the original from Violet Cakes in the UK.

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake

• 2 large eggs plue 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz.) milk 
• 1 ¼ tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups (300 g.) cake flour, sifted
• 1  1/2 cups (300 g.) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) milk
• 1/3 cup elderflower syrup or St. Germain liqueur

For the Lemon Curd

• 8 large egg yolks (130 g)
• 1 cup + 6 tablespoons (275 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• Pinch of kosher or sea salt
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup (1 stick/113 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pats

For the Buttercream

• 8 large egg whites (8 fl oz)
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 3 cups (1 1/2 pounds) unsalted butter (2 cups cold and 1 cup room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup (2 fl oz) lemon juice

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottoms of two 8x2 inch cake pans with parchment (or other sizes, using a pan size conversion tool). Do not grease or flour.
2. In a medium/small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, 1/4 cup of milk and the vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the soft butter, and remaining 3/4 cup of milk. Mix on low until ingredients are moistened and then beat on medium speed (or high with a hand mixer) for 1-2 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the egg mixture in three parts, beating between additions until incorporated. Scrap down bowl. Beat on medium for another 30 seconds.
6. Pour evenly into pans (use a scale for accuracy). Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove BEFORE the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges to loosen the sides from the pan. Turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.

Make the curd

1. This curd can be cooked, carefully, in a heavy bottom sauce pan, on using a double boiler (diy your double boiler with a metal or glass bowl over a pot with 1-2 inches of simmering water, use a collar of foil to make the fit snug). The double boiler method takes significantly longer, but virtual eliminates risk of over-cooking your curd.
2. Whisk together yolks, sugar, fruit juice/puree, lemon juice, zest and salt.
3. Either pour into your sauce pan or place bowl over your pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly over medium/low heat until thickened. Curd is cooked at about 185F. The key is to keep it from boiling, but make sure it is opaque and will coat the back of your spoon.
4. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Press through a fine mesh sieve into your storage container. Press a sheet of plastic directly on the surface of the curd. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. It takes about 8 hours for the curd to fully set.

Make the buttercream

1. In a large metal or glass bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites with all of the sugar.
2. Fill a small sauce pan that can fit your bowl or mixer bowl snugly, with 1 inch of water in the pan but the bowl not touching the water. Place the bowl with egg whites and sugar on top of pot. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Over low or medium heat, bring water to a simmer and cook the sugar and egg whites until the sugar dissolves. Whisk continuously. 
3. This is a good time to pull the butter being held in the fridge out and place on the counter with the room temperature butter.
4. Once you can no longer feel the graininess of the sugar, place mixer bowl on stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment (or pour mixture into the mixer bowl). If using a hand mixer, just take the bowl of the heat and begin whipping the egg whites. Start on low and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip on high for several minutes, until you achieve firm or medium firm peaks and the mixture has cooled a bit. 
5. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces. Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, 1 at a time, until fully mixed in. Start will cool butter. If the cold butter cools off the meringue to to point where bowl feels cool to the tough, warm the remaining butter until it is softened but not melted. Add, 1 tablespoon at a time.
6. The buttercream will go through stages. It may turn fluffy and look like frosting right away. It may soften up and turn a bit soupy. Increase speed to high and keep whipping, it should pull back together. It may look curdled...keep whipping.
7. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment and beat in 1 tablespoon of vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice to taste. Mix on medium for two minutes.
8. Keep covered, at room temperature, until needed. May be stored at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for two weeks. Can be frozen for several months. Thaw and bring to room temperature before beating to us.

Assemble the cake

1. Once cake is completely cool to the touch, you can assemble.  
2. Fill a piping bag or ziplock bag with 1 - 1 1/2 cups of buttercream. Cut a 1/2 opening in the tip of the back.
3. Remove any parchment from your cake layers.
4. Pipe a small dot of frosting on your cake plate or board.  Place your first cake layer onto the plate.  This dot of frosting will glue your cake in place. You can cut your layers in half horizontally if you'd like. Using a pastry brush or spoon, spoon in a generous amount of elderflower syrup onto the cake layer.  You'll divide the 1/3 cup of syrup evently between your layers.
5. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top of the cake. Pipe a dam of buttercream about 1/2-1 inch thick around the perimenter of the cake. Spoon in a generous amount of lemon curd, taking care that the curd does not mound up higher than the dam of buttercream. 
6. Carefully place the next layer on top.  Line the layer up so it is flush all around.  Then gently press down on the cake to settle it into place.  Try to make it level.  
7. Repeat with any remaining layers you have cut or made.
8. If the cake seems wobbly at this point, stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes, then continue.
9. Using an offset spatula, apply a thin layer of frosting to the sides and top of the cake. Scrape off excess frosting into a discard bowl.  This layer will be very thin.  Chill cake for at least 30 minutes.
10. Apply finally coat of frosting and decorate however you choose.

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