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Lemon-Lime Cake with Pineapple Curd *

Source of Recipe


From "The Cake Mix Doctor" by Anne Byrn



List of Ingredients



• Pineapple Curd:
  
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) crushed pineapple packed in juice, undrained
  
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  
• ½ cup sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
• .
  
• Cake:
  
• Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
  
• Flour for dusting the pans
  
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain lemon cake mix
  
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• ¾ cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower
  
• 1 can (12 ounces) 7-Up or lemon-lime soda
  






Instructions



1. Combine the pineapple with its juice, the butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium stainless-steel or enamel-coated saucepan. Cook the mixture, without boiling it, over medium heat, stirring constantly and carefully scraping the bottom and corners of the pan to prevent curdling until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper so that it touches the surface. (Doing so prevents the curd surface from hardening.) Refrigerate the curd so that it will cool completely and thicken, about 1 hour. Stir the curd before using it. Store the curd in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
   
   
2. Prepare the cake. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease three 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
   
   
3. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and 7-Up in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined and thickened. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven; if your oven is not large enough, place two pans on the center rack and place the third pan in the center of the highest rack.
   
   
4. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pans, 20 to 25 minutes. . Be careful not to overbake the layer on the highest oven rack. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert each onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
   
   
5. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top of the cake layer with one-third of the pineapple curd. Place the second cake layer, right side up, on the first layer covered with the curd and spread the second layer with one-third of the pineapple curd. Top with remaining cake layer, right side up, and spread it with the remaining pineapple curd.
   
   Serves 16
   
   
   *Cat's Note:
   
   This cake is amazing. It stands out as one of the best cakes I have ever made. I used a whipped cream frosting to frost the sides of the cake, and with the sunny pineapple curd center, it is very pretty with a piped edge. It's worth every bit of the time it takes to make it. Definitely a keeper and a family favorite!