Mom's Birthday Cake- Episode 1: Nighttime Lemon Curd

What a busy weekend! Brett and I drove up to my parents’ house Friday night and got started on the big baking project of the weekend: my mom’s birthday cake. I have had my mind set on the lemon curd cake from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. (I told you I saw lemon curd in my not too distant future.) But besides the lemon curd, I had never attempted it before. Since the lemon curd needed to chill, and my mom and I had a bridal shower to attend on Saturday, we had to make the curd late Friday night, bake the cake Saturday morning, then decorate the cake Saturday afternoon. I get tired again just thinking about it. Plus, since I’ve done her cake for the past 2 years (check out the baseball cake and flower basket cake,) with much success, there is a little bit of pressure to top myself, even though I know she would love me even if I made the grossest, ugliest cake in the world. I guess I put the pressure on myself.

Friday night Brett and I got to work on the curd almost right away. The last time we made it, it was only half the recipe, so this was a bit different. Also after the raspberry curd fiasco (even though I still blame the recipe) we were sure to be extra cautious. Brett zested and juiced lots of lemons, and I separated a gazillion eggs (actually 8 but it felt like a gazillion!) Cooking the curd was a team effort. Brett watched the temperature while I stirred…and stirred…and stirred. My dad was in charge of photography for the weekend (thanks Dad!) so he got some good action shots.

The last time we made this, we went strictly by the temperature, so we did the same again. However, in retrospect, we should have let it cook longer. Even after chilling overnight, the curd was on the runny side, and not the thick, pudding-like consistency that it is supposed to be. This was the only disappointment of the cake. Of course, Friday night, everything seemed just fine.