Southern Belle Lemon Cheesecake
For the cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals® granulated sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup cold water
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
finely grated zest of 1 fresh lemon
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
For the “cheesecake” filling and icing
2 cups Dixie Crystals® granulated sugar
10 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
finely grated zest of 2 fresh lemons
8 egg yolks
3 cups cold water
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 TBSP unsalted butter
For the cake
Below the Mason-Dixon line, a lemon “cheesecake” is a fluffy lemon layer cake filled and iced with a traditional lemon curd.
The layers are thin and plentiful; the lemon curd, rich and sassy, and the results are always heavenly!
Grease and flour three 9 inch round layer pans and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and arrange racks to the center of the oven.
Sift the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Form a well in the center of the dry mixture, then add in this order: the oil, egg yolks, cold water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Do not beat yet.
In a separate bowl, add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.
Now, beat the batter mixture above until well blended, then fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until smooth.
Divide mixture evenly among the prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until tops spring back if lightly pressed. Cool layers in their pans 10 minutes, then loose and turn out onto racks to complete cooling. Once cool, slice each layer in half with a long serrated knife to form six layers in all.
For the “cheesecake” filling and icing
Whisk the sugar with the cornstarch, salt and lemon zest. Add the egg yolks and cold water and whisk again until smooth.
Cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick (almost paste-like). Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon juice and the unsalted butter.
Cool to a good spreading consistency (lukewarm worked best for us) and spread mixture between cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake.
Source: Dixie Crystals® sugar website, Jun 1998 (from Archive.org Wayback machine)