Lime Curd Cake

   

        Is it Lemon Bar Cake?  Is it coffee cake with lemon?  It is Key Lime Cake?  Those are the questions my tasters asked when they sampled this cake.  But they all agreed they needed another bite or two or three to be sure.  I told them,  I just like to call it Lime Curd Cake because these 3 simple syllables define it and are kind of fun to say.  With a surprising tart center of Lime Curd, the lime packs a punch of brightness to the ridiculously moist center of a sour cream coffee cake batter.
      "Curd" used to seem an unfortunate name for a delicious combination of fruits, eggs  and butter that make cakes, cookies, puddings and scones  irresistible!  When uttered, the word conjured curdled milk or curds and whey and unpleasant lumps of spoiled something or other to my mind.  But upon tasting my first lemon curd the name became imbued with delicious imaginings. I have since discovered the Quebecois dish, poutine which features cheese curds and all unpleasant associations have been wiped from my thoughts!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake:
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup vegetable
                            shortening)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups lime curd (recipe below)

     -In a mixer, cream butter and sugar together for several minutes on high speed until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating at high speed.  Add sour cream and vanilla.  Beat 1 minute.

     -Combine flour, salt and baking powder.  Fold into wet ingredients just until mixed and all dry ingredients are wet.  Do not beat together vigorously as the mixture will become too dense.

     -Grease and flour bundt pan.  Spoon in 1/2 of cake batter into the pan.  With the back of a spoon, create a trench about 1/2 inch deep in the batter, then spoon in 1 cup of the lime curd into the trench evenly around the pan.  Gently spoon the remaining cake batter over the lime curd filling and smooth the top of the batter.

      -Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.  Test cake for doneness with a clean knife and bake another five minutes if any wet batter adheres to the knife.  Check again for doneness.

      -When baked, remove cake from oven and allow to cool upright for 10 minutes.  Invert cake onto cake plate and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

      -Drizzle glaze by spoonfuls along the top of the cake, allowing glaze to run down the sides of the cake.

      -To create an Irish themed cake for St. Patrick's Day, place rainbow colored ribbon candy strips decoratively on the top and sprinkle with gold sugar.

Lime Curd:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup fresh lime juice or Key lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1-2 drops green food coloring
3 tab. butter

     -In a medium, heavy-bottomed, non-aluminum saucepan, place sugar, salt, eggs, juice and zest.  Combine the ingredients together with a whisk until smooth.

    -Place pan over medium heat and stir mixture with a wooden spoon or whisk until the mixture thickens and almost starts to boil, about 4 -5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the butter.  Stir until smooth. Add the food coloring, if desired to create the green color.

    -Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Keep curd in the fridge in an airtight container.  Keeps in the fridge for 1 - 2 weeks, but can be frozen for a few months.

Glaze:
    -Combine 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tab. fresh lime juice and about 1 tab. water.  Stir together until smooth then place in microwave for 30 seconds and stir again, to help the sugar dissolve.  Glaze should be about the consistency of pancake batter.  Add more powdered sugar if necessary and mix.  

                                       Lime curd is not naturally green, but can be dyed to
                                                         celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

                                                       A rich, dense, sour cream cake.

Gold sugar gilded slice with a tunnel of lime curd!

PERSNICKETY  NOTES:

     **"Do not overbeat batter" needs to be repeated.  This moist dense cake will be too flat and heavy if you do so.  Just fold in the wet ingredients to the point where the dry ingredients are incorporated, then leave it alone.

 **I like to use a combination of butter and shortening in this cake as well as in some pastries for though the butter flavor is much butter than that of shortening, butter alone tends to create a heavier product.

   **This recipe is my standby for a quick delicious cake.  I first sampled it filled in the center with a cinnamon sugar mixture and pecans, then experimented with apple and then cherry pie fillings in the middle.  Over the years, my different renditions have paired it with various fruit or berry fillings and jams.  A chocolate center or even caramel would not fail to impress or those might be used as sauces or frosting on the top.  It is a true versatile winner and should be a staple in everyone's recipe collection!