Lemon Truffle Cake

This cake is SO GOOD!  Im so sad I didnt get better pictures to do it justice.  Because not only does this cake taste delicious, but it's really pretty too.  I didnt think to pull out the camera until it was half eaten and even then I struggled to get a good picture.  Oh well, just trust me when I say that if you like lemon, you will love this cake and the presentation is impressive.  Im drooling looking at these pictures and I just got done eating a piece!  HaHa :)

Every spring I get this ridiculous craving for lemon desserts and I have been craving lemon for a couple weeks now, so I was glad to have an excuse to finally make one!  (My hubby's parents came over for dinner).  After I assembled the cake I had two dirty bowls (read- "lick bowls"), one with lemon curd in it and the other with the lemon truffle filling.  I thought for sure my little buggers would prefer to lick out the truffle one since it was a little less tart, but they both kept asking for the curd!  They must take after their mama- it didnt even phase them! :) 

Lemon Truffle Cake (adapted from recipe girl)

Your favorite white cake recipe or

1 box of white cake mix

*Bake as directed in your recipe or on the package in 2 nine inch cake pans and cool completely.  Slice each cake in half horizontally by pulling a thread through it. 

Make the lemon curd and truffle filling:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

6 T. unsalted butter (I used salted this time and it seemed just fine), cut into bits

6 oz. white chocolate chips

8 oz. cream cheese softened

*Whisk together theh juice, zest sugar and eggs in a 2 quart saucepan.  Stir in the butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until the curd has thickened enough to hold the mark of the whisk and the first bubble appears on the surface.  

*I usually get some curdeling in mine so I push it through a strainer into a bowl. Put half of the curd in another bowl and set aside. 

*With the other half of warm curd, stir in the white chocolate until it is completely melted . 

*In another bowl beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.  Then add the lemon/chocolate mixture and beat until light and smooth. 

*Immediately top one third of this mixture onto one of the cake layers.  Repeat two more times and end with a layer of cake.  (So you will have 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling)

*Spread the reserved lemon curd on top of the last layer of cake.

Make the whipped cream:

*Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 3 T. of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.  Frost the side of the cake with half of the whipped cream.   Pipe a decorative edege around the top and bottom of the cake with the other half of whipped cream. (Next time I do this I will probably whip 1 1/2 cups of cream with 4 or so T. or sugar because I ran a little low and the piping suffered for it)

Chill the cake for 2 or 3 hours before serving so the filling can set.