Citrus Curd and Raspberry Cream Cake

This beauty sounds complicated but uses three techniques that might transform how you bake cakes.

My birthday was Wednesday, and the majority of felicitations I received from friends expressed a similar idea: a wish for me that someone else would bake my birthday cake.

You’ll be relieved to know that my very nice husband bought me my favorite confection, a merveilleux from a French bakery with shops all around the world named after their centerpiece dessert and the baker who created them: Aux Merveilleux de Fred. In my favorite version, layers of delicate meringue are slathered in chocolate whipped cream and covered in dark chocolate shavings. The cake is ethereal.

I certainly could make one myself, as I suspect you could, too. But why, when there are a number of Fred bakeries in nearby New York City that are filled with delicate merveilleux waiting for a good home?

The cake is now gone, merely but a dream that remains on my lips — tra la! So what to feed the friends expecting birthday cake when they come over? One of my favorite homemade layer cakes. A cake that sounds complicated but uses three techniques that I daresay may transform how you bake cakes.

The cake: Vanilla.

The fillings: Citrus curd, raspberries and whipped cream.

What’s so special about that?

The cake uses a reverse-creaming method that blends butter, sugar and flour together before adding the eggs and milk. The result is a reliably tender cake.

The curd is made in the microwave, is 10 times simpler than the usual way of making it on the stove, and I promise you it’s practically no-fail.

The whipped cream filling is stabilized with cream cheese, which creates an extra creamy, lush whipped cream that will hold in the refrigerator without deflating. You will not taste the cream cheese.

If you’re a person who makes cakes from a box mix, or once had a bad experience making a cake from scratch, please try again with this recipe.

A few notes:

1. Don’t be overwhelmed by the steps below. It’s all pretty basic, and the cake and curd can be made ahead of time. Just wrap it well and keep it in the fridge.

2. My favorite version of this curd is made with passion fruit and lemon. I didn’t have time to go buy passion fruit puree (also: lazy, cuz birthday), so I used a blend of oranges and lemons. You can use all lemon juice, or lime or yuzu! For passion fruit, I use ½ cup passion fruit puree and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice.

3. The curd recipe makes about 2 cups, which is more than you’ll need. Leftover curd can be stored in the refrigerator for 30 days.

4. The curd and cream would also make a great filling for a pre-baked tart shell. I’d also cover the top in fresh berries.

I had a wonderful conversation with fellow March 25 birthday celebrant Rachel Vindman. We talked about the joy of cake (hers was a pink flamingo pull-apart cupcake cake from Publix) and what it’s like to be back in the public spotlight now that her husband, Alex, is running for senator from Florida. You can listen to it here.

Citrus Curd and Raspberry Cream Cake

Makes 1 8” (20 cm) layer cake, serves 8 to 12 people

What You’ll Need:

For the citrus curd:

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (90 grams) fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (57 grams) fresh orange juice

3 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup (8 ounces/226 grams) butter, cut into 16 pieces

pinch of salt

For the cake:

1 cup (8 ounces/226 grams) room-temperature butter, cut into 16 pieces

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

1 2/3 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt (¼ teaspoon table salt)

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons milk (or alternative milk)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon extract (if desired)

For the cream filling:

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup powdered sugar

2 cups (473 ml) heavy or whipping cream, cold

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste

And!

½ pint of fresh raspberries

What You’ll Do:

Make the curd:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl (preferably glass), whisk together all the ingredients.

2. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for 45 seconds on high heat.

3. Remove the bowl from the microwave and whisk for about 10 seconds; be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4. Repeat the 45-second blasts and 10-second whiskings until the mixture looks uniformly thickened. At about the third time, you will begin to doubt me and the method. Usually by the fourth go, your spirits will perk up and then at the fifth, you will see the magic. It should be heated to at least 175°F/79°C. Dip a spoon in the mixture. Draw your finger across the back of the spoon. Your finger should leave a clean line. And probably hurt from being stuck in a 175-degree liquid.

5. Let the mixture cool on the counter for about 20 minutes. Press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface of the mixture. Tightly wrap the bowl and refrigerate until cold before using.

   

   The curd transforms beautifully in the microwave. Top row, from left: The curd after the first and second blasts in a microwave. Bottom row, from left: The curd after the fourth and fifth blasts.

   Make the cakes:

6. Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease and flour 2 8” (20 cm) round cake pans. Line the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper.

7. With a stand- or hand-mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix, first on low, then raise to medium speed and blend until the mixture looks like wet sand.

8. Lightly beat together the eggs, vanilla and milk. With the stand mixer on low, pour in half the egg mixture and raise to medium speed until the mixture comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the rest of the egg mixture and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Raise to medium-high and blend for about 30 seconds. If the mixture still looks lumpy continue to blend until the mixture is smooth. The mixture may look ever-so-slightly curdled. Don’t worry. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake has pulled away from the edges. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

When ready to assemble:

Make the cream filling:

1. With a stand or hand mixer (or with a hand whisk on the off chance your KitchenAid stand mixer that you thought was fixed literally falls apart in the middle of beating the cream…) whisk the cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar together until smooth. Add the cream and vanilla and whisk together on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until medium-soft peaks form.

2. Place one cake layer on the plate you plan to serve it from. Spread a thick layer of curd on top, almost to the edges.(I typically use about 1 ½ cups worth. There will be some left over. See my notes.) Sprinkle raspberries on top. Spread the cream over the raspberries and curd like a big, fluffy cloud. Gently place the second cake layer on top, flat side up. Decorate the top with a thin layer of whipped cream, or just a dusting of confectioner’s sugar. The cake will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

3. Marissa Rothkopf Bates writes about food for the New York Times, Newsweek (RIP) and Publishers’ Weekly among others. Her newest book, “The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies,” is available wherever fine books are sold. Find her on Substack here.

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