LEMON BERRY CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Coat an 8- to 10-cup ring or tube pan with nonstick spray, then flour.
• Combine 3/4 cup flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in large bowl. In a 2-qt saucepan, heat milk and butter until very warm (120° to 130ºF on an instant-read thermometer). Gradually add to flour mixture; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Add eggs, 1 cup flour and the lemon zest; beat 2 minutes on high speed. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup flour until blended.
• Spread dough evenly into prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and limoncello.
• Heat oven to 375ºF. Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Prick surface with a skewer; brush warm cake with half of the syrup.
• Run knife around edge to release; invert cake onto wire rack set over a pan. Spoon or brush remaining syrup over cake. Let cool completely. Mound berries in center.

Steps:

• For the decoration, using a zester, peel long strips of lemon rind. If you haven’t got a zester, thinly peel the lemon, then cut into fine strips. Set aside the remaining lemon.
• Place the peel in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and half the caster sugar and boil for one minute. Drain and pat dry, then put onto non-stick parchment paper. Scatter over the remaining sugar and toss to coat the lemon peel. Arrange on the non-stick baking parchment and leave in a warm place to dry out for as long as possible or overnight, until crisp. If you are in a hurry, dry out in a low oven 110C/225F/Gas ¼ for 30 minutes.
• Cut the zested lemon in half and squeeze the juice. Set it aside to make the icing.
• For the cake, place the two whole (or one large) lemons in a small saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until very soft and tender. Drain, cut the lemons in half and remove any pips.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (160C fan).
• Place the lemons, including the skin, in a food processor and process until smoothish, but still with some chunky bits. Put the mixture in a small bowl.
• Add all the remaining cake ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth. Lift out the blade and stir in just over half of the lemon pulp. Set the rest aside.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and just shrinking from the edge of the tins.
• Leave to cool for five minutes, then turn the cakes out, peel off the baking parchment and leave to finish cooling on a wire rack.
• For the lemon filling, blend the butter and icing sugar in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the mascarpone, blend again and then add the lemon pulp and blend until just mixed.
• Cut both cakes in half so that you have four layers. Spread the lemon cream evenly between the layers, stacking them on top of each other.
• Mix the fondant icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (from the lemon used to make the candied zest decoration) to make a thick pouring consistency. Pour the icing over the top of the cake allowing it to drizzle down. Sprinkle the candied lemon rind on top.