Get Your Chef On ~ Lemon: Champagne Mini Cakes

I can't believe today is THE day!  I get to share my Get Your Chef On ~ Lemons post.  I'm so happy Jen picked lemons for the secret ingredient for our very first GYCO challenge.  I totally feel the pressure to pick an awesome ingredient for next round.  Want to know more about GYCO?  Click here to learn more.  

If you missed out on this round, we will be starting our next sign up in July.  Don't worry Jen and I will be annoying with our sign up announcement.  :) 

Oh, and if you haven't signed up already, Carrie from My Favorite Finds and I are co-hosting a blog swap!  There is still time to sign up and trade blogs for a day with a great mystery blogger.  We'd love to have you!!

So originally I was going to make these Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes that I've had in my dessert recipe binder for years.  That was the plan from the day Jen picked lemons for our secret ingredient.  Then I got over the recipe.  I don't know, I just wanted something different.  Then I found it.  Lemons, champagne, icing.  I was sold.  I think I've very up front about my alcohol and food affinity {see exhibit A and exhibit B}.

Lemon Champagne Mini Cakes
Cake and Icing from Betty Crocker ][ Lemon Curd from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:
Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry champagne  {I used Korbel Brut}
1//2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoons grated lemon peel  {about 1 lemon}

Lemon Curd Filling
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) - DO NOT use bottled lemon juice!
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest  {about 2 lemons}
1 tablespoon sour cream

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Cake

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 13" x 9" baking pan with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Beat together cake mix, water, champagne, oil, and eggs.  Once combined, stir in 2 teaspoons lemon zest.  Pour into pan.
3. Bake for 17 to 23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Do not remove cake from pan.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.  Place pan of cake in freezer.  Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.  {I left my cake in the fridge over night since I wasn't about to stay up til 11:30pm to take the cake out of the freezer}
4. Take cake out of freezer, remove cake from pan using foil.  Using a knife, level the top of the cake.  Cut the cake in half horizontally so the cake has 2 layers.

Filling

1. In stainless steel or glass bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended.  Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent curdling), until the mixture become thick (like sour cream or hollandaise sauce).  This will take about 10 minutes.  
2. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps.  Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted.  Add the lemon zest and let cool.  The lemon curd will cintinue to thicken as it cools.  Cover immediately - so a skin doesn't form.
3. Once curd thickens and cools  mix 1/4 cup curd with sour cream until combined and smooth.

Icing

1. In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, melted butter, and lemon juice until well blended.

Assembly

1. Cut out 24 {I got 16} circles from the sheet cake (2 sets - one from each layer).  Place 12 rounds top side down.  Spread each with about 1 teaspoon lemon curd filling.  Top with remaining cake rounds, top side up.
2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon icing over each cake, allowing icing to run down sides of cake.  Top with sprinkles if desired, or lemon peel curls.

Recipe thoughts:

I would totally make cupcakes instead of a sheet cake next time.  I had lots of cake scraps - I saved them for later - but you'll get more cakes with a cupcake method.  

The icing with thicken if you let it sit for too long.  That's fine, the icing just won't run down the sides of the cake...like mine.