ULTIMATE LEMON LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Filling: Measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over the top.
• Heat remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt in medium non-reactive sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot, but not boiling.
• Whisk eggs and yolks in a large non-reactive bowl.
• Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 170° and is thick enought to leave a trail when a spatula is scraped along the bottom of the pan, about 4-6 minutes.
• Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated.
• Pour filling through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl.
• Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, about 4 hours.
• Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg milk, egg whites and vanilla.
• In a mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix at slow speed.
• Add butter one piece at a time, continue to beat until mixture resembles moist crumbs and no visible butter chunks.
• Add all but 1 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• With mixer running, add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture, beat 1 mintute more.
• Divide batter evenly between cake pans.
• Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick in center of cakes comes out clean.
• Loosen cakes from side of pan with a small knife, cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from pan onto greased wire rack, remove parchment paper, invert again and cool completely.
• Icing: Combine all ingredients in a mixer bowl or heatproof bowl.
• Set over medium saucepan filled with 1-inch of simmering water.
• Cook stirring constantly until mixture reaches 160°, 5-10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to mixer bowl (if needed) and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
• Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until mixture has cooled to room temperature and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes longer.
• Assembly: Cut each layer in half horizontally.
• Spread 1 cup of lemon filling evenly on each cake, (except the top layer) leaving 1/2-inch border around cake.
• Place top layer on cakes, smooth out any filling that may have leaked from the layers.
• Refrigerate while you make the icing.
• Spread icing on cake.