Alabama Lemon ‘Cheese’ Cake

Recipe from Tracy K. Smith

Adapted by The New York Times

Updated April 3, 2016

  • Evan Sung for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 3 hours, including time to cool
Rating
4(452)
Comments
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This Southern delicacy contains no cheese, but a buttery filling with a hint of cheese-like curd adds color and luscious flavor. —The New York Times

Featured in: Two Recipes From Tracy K. Smith’s Kitchen

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

  • 2 cups/360 grams sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 3 cups/270 grams sifted cake flour

  • ¾ cup milk

  • 6 large egg whites, stiffly beaten

FOR THE LEMON FILLING

  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)

  • 1 cup/180 grams sugar

  • 6 large egg yolks

  • Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

FOR THE 7-MINUTE FROSTING

  • 2 egg whites, unbeaten

  • 1 ½ cups/270 grams sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ⅓ cup water

  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR DECORATING

  • 1 cup/135 grams shredded coconut

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 to 12 servings)

92 grams carbs; 154 milligrams cholesterol; 678 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 195 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 71 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. MAKE THE CAKE:

    1. Step 1

      Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 8-inch cake pans.

    2. Step 2

      With a standing or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in egg whites until thoroughly combined; do not overmix.

    3. Step 3

      Divide batter into greased pans and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool on racks before removing from pans; let cool completely.

  2. MAKE THE LEMON FILLING:

    1. Step 4

      Combine all ingredients in top of double boiler set over boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly until very thick, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely before using.

  3. MAKE THE FROSTING:

    1. Step 5

      Combine all ingredients in top of double boiler. Beat with a rotary beater or hand mixer for 1 minute, then set over boiling water and beat for about 7 minutes more or until frosting stands in glossy peaks. Remove from the heat and continue beating until frosting is cool and thick enough to hold firm swirls. Let cool completely before using.

  4. ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

    1. Step 6

      Spread the lemon filling between the layers and on top. Spread the frosting on the sides of the cake and press with shredded coconut.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
452 user ratings
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Comments

John Golden

I've commented before on the mistakes made in your cups to grams conversion when you ran both these cake recipes (including the pound cake) months ago. A cup of cake flour is equal to 120 grams; you have 270 grams for 3 cups. Sugar measurement is wrong, too. 1 cup sugar is 198 grams

Cat M

The cake is lovely and makes good use of the yolks and whites for cake and lemon cheese. But, while the directions say only to bake in greased pans, my experience trying to remove the layers from the pans makes me recommend using greased parchment paper on the bottom. Fortunately the crumbs tasted great!

Joe

Bakers Beware! I had a few issues with this cake recipe. The recipe doesn't make enough batter for the three pans, so the cakes came out flat. The cake texture is quite dense, almost like a pound cake. I followed the gram measurements for convenience (much easier to weight than fiddle with cups), and I suspect the conversions are faulty.

The lemon curd recipe, however, is a winner.

Nina Altschiller

A cup of sifted cake flour weighs approx 105-112 grams per cup (Swan's Down is 112). Even if you go with the lighter weight, the ingredient list is incorrect. The sugar weight is also wrong. It should be 396 grams. For those of us who rely on weight instead of volume, these things matter.

eleni

Sorry to be one of those people, but all three components of this cake are very sweet so, together, it was too much, even for a house of people who enjoy dessert. It is my fault for not having looked at the amounts in the recipe and tallying it up. Perhaps an ermine icing could be a less sweet alternative?

emma

@eleni I agree!! way too sweet!

Molly Malone

We in Alabama do not put coconut in the frosting. It detracts from the lemon which js the star of this show

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Credits

Adapted from Tracy K. Smith

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