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Lemon Curd

post #1 of 16
2/23/13 at 8:02am
Thread Starter 

I love all things lemon, so my favorite cake is lemon topped with lemon buttercream.  I'd like to take my lemon fav over the top with a filing of lemon curd.  Has anyone used a store bought lemon curd for a filling between layers without refrigerating the cake?  I'm wondering if I can minimize any concern about room temperature in finding a brand packed full of preservatives.  icon_surprised.gif  I know!  It goes against everything the average baker holds near and dear in terms of "fresh" but....  Any ideas?

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post #2 of 16
2/23/13 at 12:54pm

How long does it need to be at room temperature? I use lemon curd all the time, and it's never been a problem, but I keep my cakes cool until they are delivered.

 

Store bought lemon curd isn't even the same thing as home made, it's super sweet and a weird thick grainy texture.

If it has to be at room temp for a really long time, I would just do the lemon buttercream, and maybe candy some finely grated lemon zest. It adds a neat texture element, and is super lemony.

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post #3 of 16
2/23/13 at 12:58pm

Store bought lemon curd is nasty. I have seen cake supply stores sell it in sleeves. I do t know if it's any better. Why not make your own? ItS not difficult.

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post #4 of 16
2/23/13 at 1:33pm

I've used both store-bought and homemade, and I prefer the homemade.  However, if you're concerned about longevity of your homemade lemon curd, try an eggless lemon curd.  You can google and get a few recipes.  It's dead easy and has a longer life than lemon curd made with eggs.  You may find it very tart, but you can mix some buttercream with it if you're using it as a filling, and it sweetens it up somewhat.  I used it to fill a lemon/blueberry cake recently, and everyone loved it.

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post #5 of 16
2/24/13 at 2:46pm
Thread Starter 

Thank you, ladies, for your input.  I was thinking store-bought because of preservatives; the potential to leave the cake out on the counter for a couple of days (depends upon the household -  crazy us -we gobble it up here pretty quickly) without fear of spoilage.  

 

You've piqued my curiosity, Kathleen.   I had no idea there were eggless versions.  As for tart, that's the point - the contrast to the lemon buttercream.  Sounds good to me! 

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post #6 of 16
2/26/13 at 5:36am

but in lemon curd you cook through the eggs, so it should be edible and fresh for the same time your buttercream would be held on RT. I have held my home made lemon cream on RT for app 12h and it was still good and didn't cause any problems :)

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post #7 of 16
2/26/13 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by keiu View Post

but in lemon curd you cook through the eggs, so it should be edible and fresh for the same time your buttercream would be held on RT. I have held my home made lemon cream on RT for app 12h and it was still good and didn't cause any problems :)

Holding for 12 hours is not the problem.  

 

Holding for three days while you decorate, plus whatever days the customers holds after the party, is not safe.

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post #8 of 16
2/26/13 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 

That's what I was thinking, Irene.  My search continues, but I'm narrowing it to the egg-less curds suggested by Kathleen.  Thank you, ladies.

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post #9 of 16
2/26/13 at 10:37am

Neophyte, this is the recipe I used.

 

http://www.grouprecipes.com/38383/eggless-lemon-curd.html

 

However, there's quite a few out there.  It's just a matter of picking one, which is pretty much what I did. icon_smile.gif  As I mentioned, it was very tart, so I mixed it with a bit of SMBC (taste-testing as I went) for the filling.  Once filled, it was going to be almost 3 days (most of it in a refrigerator) before the cake was going to be eaten, but I felt comfortable that the filling would be just fine.

 

As a side note, I make my SMBC with cartoned egg whites, so I wasn't concerned about that either.  :-)

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post #10 of 16
2/26/13 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 

Kathleen, you're a lady who thinks the way I do.  I've yet to try SMBC for the egg whites in that, too.  I like the idea you are happy enough with a boxed white version.  May I ask which brand of the whites you buy?  Seems there are so many things to try but so little time.  And I have to be mindful of the waistline as I never runs "tests" on others.  If someone's going to get sick or say, "ICK!", it'll be my honey and me.   icon_biggrin.gif  This is the reason I love CakeCentral - others are trying new things, too, offering tricks and tips.  Thank you again to all!

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post #11 of 16
2/26/13 at 11:23am

I also use egg whites from the carton, but I buy my grocery store generic brand. I've made SMBC using brand name egg whites, but it tastes the same to me when I use generic. 

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post #12 of 16
2/26/13 at 2:24pm

I buy whatever brand is the least expensive when I'm at the grocery store, either in the 250 ml or 500 ml carton, depending on how much icing I'm making.  icon_smile.gif    If I ever get into this major seriously, I'll eventually buy them in the big box club store in the litre carton.  What's nice is that they can be frozen.  Once.  icon_smile.gif

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post #13 of 16
2/26/13 at 2:43pm
Thread Starter 

See, I didn't know that (freezing one time) of the egg product, Kathleen.  I'd read some people find the egg product to fall flat for SMBC, but I'd rather take my chances; at least give it a test run.

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post #14 of 16
2/26/13 at 4:53pm

not sure what happened to my previous post . . . if you google lemon curd recipe texas cottage food law you will find a recipe that has been tested and is safe

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post #15 of 16
2/26/13 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 

Thank you, Rosie.  I'm going to see if I can find that.  NO better source than the people who make food safety rules for their county?  

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