Lemon Layer Cake

Name: Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients: 1 cup, fresh lemon juice from about 6 lemons; 1 teaspoon, gelatin (powdered); 1 1/2 cups, granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces/298 grams); 1/8 teaspoon, table salt; 4 , large eggs; 6 , large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for cake); 8 tablespoons, unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen; 2 1/4 cups, cake flour (9 ounces/255 grams), plus extra for pans; 1 cup, whole milk, room temperature; 6 , large egg whites, room temperature; 2 teaspoons, vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups, granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces/347 grams); 4 teaspoons, baking powder; 1 teaspoon, table salt; 12 tablespoons, unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened but still cool; 2 , large egg whites; 1 cup, granulated sugar (7 ounces/198 grams); 1/4 cup, water; 1 tablespoon, fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon); 1 tablespoon, corn syrup

Desserts or Baked Goods
Fruit
Fruit Desserts
Cakes
Easter

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2007, America's Test Kitchen TV

We carefully deconstructed this blue-ribbon recipe to create a light and lemony dessert.

SERVES 10 to 12

TIME 2 hours, plus 4 hours chilling and 1½ hours cooling

Why This Recipe Works

This is a members' feature.