Directions

Lemon Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray two, 8-inch cake pans and two, 6-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. Add egg yolks and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Beat in lemon extract and oil.

5. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add alternatively to the creamed mixture with buttermilk, stirring by hand.

6. In a separate mixer bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the batter. Tint batter light yellow

7. Bake the 6-inch cakes for 15 to 18 minutes and the 8-inch cakes for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it.

8. Let cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon American Buttercream

1. Beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for about three minutes until light and airy.

2. Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.

3. Add lemon extract and salt and continue to beat for another minute.

4. Beat in cream 1 teaspoon at a time for consistency.

Lemon Curd

1. Zest the lemons.

2. Juice the lemons until you have about half a cup of lemon juice.

3. Strain egg yolks into a pot and beat lightly with a wire whisk.

4. Whisk in the sugar and keep whisking until it becomes lighter in color.

5. Stir in lemon juice gradually.

6. Mix cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Add to mixture.

7. Heat on low, while stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until mixture thickens, just starts to bubble and coats back of wooden spoon.

8. Remove pot from heat, then add the cold, cubed butter and mix until melted.

9. Strain the final mixture to remove any bits of zest.

10. Remove to a bowl and chill completely.

Lemon Syrup

1. Add both ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

Ball for Top of Cake

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.

2. Immediately add the marshmallows and stir until melted and well blended.

3. Remove from the heat. Add the pinch of salt and the cereal to the saucepan, stirring until fully incorporated.

4. Form into a ball the appropriate size to fit the top of the stocking hat cake.

5. Cover in fondant and smooth the surface.

6. Extrude fondant in small long strips.

7. Cut the strips into small pieces and attach the strips to the fondant ball with a tiny bit of corn syrup.

8. Insert a long wooden dowel in the bottom of the ball, and stick into a piece of styrofoam to hold until ready to place on the cake.

Assembly

1. Light pink fondant

2. Knitted pattern fondant molds

3. Long, slender wooden dowel

4. Place one 8” layer on a cardboard circle and brush lightly with lemon syrup. Pipe the buttercream in a dam around the outside and spread the center with ¾ cup of lemon curd. Repeat the layering with the second 8” cake layer and then two 6” cake layers. Chill the cake until cold, about 30 minutes or more. Using a serrated knife, shape the cake into a tall dome to resemble a stocking hat. Frost all over with Lemon Buttercream. Chill the cake while you tint and mold the fondant. Attach the fondant with corn syrup. Attach the ball to the top with a long wooden dowel.