Lemon Praline Cake

This tart and crunchy Lemon Praline Cake is a lemon lover’s fix! Lemon buttercream and lemon curd nestled over a honey sponge cake. Then you add the pralines…….excuse me, I have to go make this cake NOW!

Ingredients

Cake:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup superfine sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey

Pralines:

1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Lemon Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 pinch kosher salt

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Lemon Curd (You can use jarred if you do not want to make your own)

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 baking pan, line with parchment paper and grease again.
In a medium bowl sift the flour and baking powder 3 times. Reserve.
Whisk egg and sugar with an electric mixer over high speed for 8-10 minutes, or until pale, thick and tripled in volume.
Sift half the flour mixtures over the egg mixture and gently fold with a spoon. Repeat with the remaining flour.
Mix to combine butter and honey. Add to cake batter and gently fold.
Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until golden and springy. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

Prepare the pralines:

Increase the oven temperature to 400º F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease it. Sprinkle sugar evenly on the baking tray. Cook for 12- 15 minutes, or until sugar is melted and golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle almonds over the melted sugar. Allow to cool. When cooled break the praline into pieces and process in a food processor until fine.

Prepare the frosting:

With an electric mixer on medium speed cream butter for 8 – 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Beat in lemon extract ,salt, and heavy whipping cream until desired spreading consistency is reached, about 2 minutes.

Prepare Lemon Curd:

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until thick enough to hold marks from whisk, and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.
Assemble the cake:
Carefully cut the sponge cake horizontally into 2 equal parts. Trim the edges if necessary to make it even. Spread lemon curd, frosting, then a second layer of lemon curd over one layer and sprinkle with pralines. Repeat with the other layer, finishing with a layer of frosting and pralines.