Citrus Wedding Cake
Last weekend I got a call about a wedding cake. A friend of a friend of a friend was doing having a courthouse wedding and a small reception of 15 people and needed a cake last minute. She called on Wednesday about a for Saturday. Normally I don’t take cake orders of any kind, besides maybe a birthday cake for a friend, but I needed the money so why not!
I am so glad I went for it! Not only did the cake turn out GORGEOUS (if I don’t say so myself) it also went a little viral on Tiktok. I uploaded a video on making it on Friday night and by Monday night the video had 5.5 million views. Million! Five point five! Five and a half! That’s insane!!
A lot of comments were asking for the recipe and I am here to oblige. No gatekeeping around here.
The wedding cake had 3 simple elements:
Citrus Sponge Cake
Lemon Curd
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This was not the most creative I’ve ever been with flavors but I didn’t have time to do any testing so I decided to stick with tried and true recipes.
Both the lemon curd and sponge cake are based on recipes I’ve already made YouTube videos for. And the Swiss meringue buttercream I got from @ibakemistakes on instagram. She is one of my favorite bakers on the ‘gram. I know how to make SMBC and the method written down below is my own but I can never for the life of me remember the ratio of ingredients and so used Kassie’s. But credit where credit is due, her recipe is great and her website is so cute, check it out!
What really made this citrus wedding cake come together was all the edible flowers and herbs I used on the outside. They came from CubeGreens here in Stockholm and I just love working with them. I use them anytime I need cake flowers.
Anyway, on to the recipes!
Citrus Sponge Cake
Ingredients
- 330 g Sugar
- 260 g Butter
- 50 g Neutral Oil
- 4 ea Eggs
- 40 g Milk
- 40 g Orange Juice
- 340 g All Purpose Flour
- 10 g Baking Powder
- 4 g Salt
- 1 Orange zested
- 1 Lemon zested
- 1 Lime zested
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine softened butter, oil, and sugar.
- Using the paddle attachment, whip the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Mix for an additional 2 minutes on high speed after adding the last egg.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and sift in the baking powder, salt, and roughly half of all-purpose flour.
- Gently fold in the flour until just combined. (You can do this by hand or with the paddle attachment on low speed.)
- Add the milk and orange juice, along with a splash of vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Mix in the zest of one orange, one lemon, and one lime.
- Sift in the remaining flour and fold until just combined.
- Prepare a 24cm (9.5in) springform pan by greasing the bottom and lining it with parchment paper.
- Assemble the pan, ensuring the parchment is flat against the bottom, and grease the sides.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out evenly.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/175°C for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, release the sides of the springform pan and transfer the cake onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
SMBC
Ingredients
- 400 g Sugar
- 200 g Egg Whites
- 550 g Butter unsalted
Instructions
- Separate eggs using the three-bowl method: crack two eggs into the middle bowl and separate yolks from whites, weighing the whites.
- In the stand mixer bowl, combine egg whites and sugar.
- Place the bowl over simmering water, ensuring the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Add a metal spatula between the bowl and pot to prevent suction.
- Optionally, add a pinch of cream of tartar to help the meringue whip up.
- Whisk continuously until the egg white mixture reaches 165°F/71°C.
- Test the mixture by touching it to ensure the sugar is melted and it’s warm but not too hot.
- Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.
- Whip until the mixture becomes ribbony and the bowl is just warm.
- Gradually add room temperature butter, a few tablespoons at a time, fully incorporating before adding more.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well combined.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and paddle on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes to eliminate larger air bubbles and achieve a smoother frosting.
Notes
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 4 ea Eggs
- 200 g Butter unsalted
- 180 g Lemon Juice
- 170 g Sugar
- Lemon Zest
Instructions
- Zest all the lemons before juicing them. You’ll need 180g of lemon juice.
- In a small pot, combine the lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and all the lemon zest.
- Place the pot on the stove and whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 82°C/180°F. It’s crucial to whisk continuously to prevent curdling.
- Once the mixture reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh strainer, using a spatula to push the curd through and leaving the zest behind.
- Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside until it reaches about 40°C/104°F.
- Once the curd has cooled, begin adding room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time, ensuring each tablespoon is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Continue mixing until all the butter is fully incorporated, creating a thick and creamy consistency.
- Again, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before use.