We don’t have a hard and fast birthday tradition around here. Sometimes we eat out and sometimes we cook at home. For my birthday this year, Jason baked an angelfood cake with white mountain frosting and meyer lemon curd, fresh raspberries on the side. We had fancy dry-aged steaks, grilled asparagus and potatoes sliced thinly and simmered gently in chicken broth.

 

Lemon angel food cake with lemon curd and White Mountain frosting

1 dozen large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups fine sugar, divided
1 1/3 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Whisk egg whites, salt and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups sugar while continuing to whisk. Add vanilla and whisk to stiff peaks. Sift together remaining sugar and flour. Stir in lemon zest. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.

Transfer the batter to an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 F until it springs back to the touch. Cool completely and remove from pan. Slice off 1 inch from the top. Remove about a 1-inch channel of cake from between the inner and outer edge, about 1-inch deep.

lemon curd filling

6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
8 tablespoons sweet cream butter, cut into pieces
zest of a lemon
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Whisk together yolks, sugar and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until slightly thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter one piece at a time until it is all incorporated. Fold in the zest and allow to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap right on the surface of the lemon curd and refrigerate overnight. Just before use, whip the cream and remaining sugar to stiff peaks and fold gently into the curd 1/3 at a time. Put this mixture into the channel of the cake , replace the top and refrigerate at least two hours.

White Mountain frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites

In a small sauce pan, bring the sugar, water, juice and salt to a boil and continue to cook over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile beat the egg whites just to stiff peaks then stream in the hot syrup and continue to beat until somewhat cooled, about 5 minutes. Mixture should form stiff peaks. Frost cake .