Wilton Course three: Fondant and Tiered Cakes

This was my project for the final in course three.  Wilton will no longer be teaching this class since they have reformated all their courses.  I've signed up to redo the basics class with my daughter.  I know the techniques but she doesn't and it gets her some time out of the house away from baby and gives me practice. 

The cakes for this project I used this recipe called Ultimate Vanilla Pound Cake from "All You" magazine and filled the bottom layer with lemon curd sauce I found at this website.  Hey, you have to have some flavor with a fondant covered cake!  Winnie the Pooh is totally made out of fondant as are the daisies and ribbon.

Ultimate Vanilla Pound Cake

adapted from All You magazine

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 large egss, at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan. Line bottom and sides with parchment, leaving about an inch of overhang on both sides. Grease and flour paper and pan, tapping out excess.

Sift flour and salt together into a small bow. Set aside. Put butter, vanilla and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until light and pale, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well and then scraping bowl between each.

With mixer on low, ad flour to mixture gradually until it is fully incorporated; do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cool cake on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife along unlined sides of pan and use parchment to carefully lift cake onto wire rack to cool completely. Serve with whipped cream and berries, if desired.

Lemon Curd (makes 1 cup)

Last Crumb

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

3 ounces fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons lemon zest

pinch salt

Directions:

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a heavy saucepan. Make sure the sugar and yolks are well combined; otherwise the yolks will curdle when the lemon juice is added. Add all other ingredients except the lemon zest and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do lot let the mixture reach a boil. When the curd has thickened and turned an opaque yellow color, remove from heat and pour through a strainer. Stir in the lemon zest and allow to cool. The curd will thicken as it cools. Can be stored for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.