Recently, my fiancée and I went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Naturally, I ate little lunch and more than my share of cheesecake. He doesn't care for cheesecake, so he ordered the Lemoncello Cream Torte, and naturally I had to sample it. I decided I could make it better. I searched a few million sites and recipes for a copycat version of this cake. They all used cream cheese, box mixes, and other less-than adequate substitutions. The cake and filling recipes were translated from Italian and then slightly modified to fit my needs. The icing is my own creation.
Torte:
1 C unsalted butter, softened
2 C granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.
Cream the butter. Then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the flour in four parts, alternating with the milk. Mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove immediately from pans and allow to cool completely.
After the cake has cooled, pour a mixture of 4 Tbs Limoncello and 1/4 cup lemon juice over each layer. Be careful not to make the cake soggy, more or less liquid may be needed.
Filling between layers:
1 C heavy whipping cream (not the stuff made from skim milk and chemicals)
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/3 C granulated sugar
4 Tbs Limoncello liqueur
1 tsp lemon extract
Beat all ingredients together until soft peaks are formed. Spread evenly between the cooled cake layers. Optional: sprinkle with finely grated lemon rind.
Frosting:
1 C unsalted butter, softened
1/4 C solid vegetable shortening
5 C (approx. 1 lb) confectioner's sugar
6 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs Limoncello
2 Tbs lemon flavored gelatin
Dissolve the gelatin in lemon juice and Limoncello.
Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer at medium speed until you reach the desired consistency. For a yellow color add a few drops of yellow food coloring.
Keep the cake chilled, allow to warm a few minutes before serving.
This entry was posted
on Friday, July 9, 2010
at Friday, July 09, 2010
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Italian
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