The Cake Slice Bakers April 2013 - Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake

The Cake Slice Baker's had spoken, vote was in, and this month's cake to be baked from Vintage Cakes was to be the Lemon and Almond Streamliner. I don't know about you but I have never heard of a "streamliner" cake before, and actually incorrectly called it a steamliner when I first started typing up this post.  The author of Vintage Cakes, Julie Richardson also had trouble finding out the conclusive reason as to why it was called a streamliner, deciding that it could have been named after "the streamlined trains and automobiles of the early twentieth century" or the "china made by the Salem China Company in the 1930's".  If I had to guess I would say that the name does have something to do with the streamlined trains, but might have more to do with a cake that was made and served on the train that became very popular leading people to say something like "I can't wait to have a slice of that streamliner cake".

I had mixed feelings about this cake because I had never really been a big fan of almond paste-flavored treats, but I loved the idea of a cake topped with lemon curd. However, I have learned that our tastes can change over the years, so I went on a search for almond paste.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a can of it in the first place I looked.  I took this as a sign that this was going to be a good cake.

The first step was to make the lemon curd so that it could cool down before use. It has a good amount of lemon zest and lemon juice, and I found that I could have just used a spoon and eaten it straight from the bowl.  Sensibility took over and I managed to get it covered with the plastic wrap before too much was devoured. The cake was next on the list, and once I had everything measured and ready to go it came together very quickly, and was actually baked in 40 minutes.  The recipes does state a little longer so keep an eye on your cake, especially if your oven runs a little hot.

It was hard for me to wait for the cake to cool down so I could assemble it.  I swear that I did wait the recommended 30 minutes but when I was inverting the cake onto the rack it cracked across the top and I had to do a quick save to stop it from splitting in half.  Next time I would leave it to cool at least another 15-30 minutes. It wasn't a big deal because I knew that the cake was going to be topped with the lemon curd anyway.

After a few bites of this cake my advice is that you run, not walk, out to get the ingredients so that you can bake it. My initial worries about the almond paste were completely unfounded.  I loved everything about this cake from the soft crumbs, the subtle taste of the almond, and that oh-so-good lemon topping. This cake is definitely one of those cakes that will impress people and have them begging for you to give them the recipe.

Only the crumbs and a lemon slice were left

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Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
Custard

• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup lemon juice (from approximately 3 lemons)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Cake

• 1¼ cups (5 ounces) sifted cake flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ cup almond paste, at room temperature
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Preparation
Custard

1. To make the lemon custard, combine the lemon zest, milk, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just hot. 
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, and the salt until well combined, then whisk in the cornstarch, then the lemon juice.
3. Slowly whisk a third of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk and cook over medium-low heat, whisking steadily, until the custard begins to thicken and bubble for 1 minute (you will need to stop whisking for a moment to check if it is bubbling).
4. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and whisk in the butter until it has melted. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly upon the surface of the custard and place in the refrigerator to cool for about 2 hours. The custard is easiest to work with once it has set. 

Cake

1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350°F; grease a 9- x 2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. 
2. To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed. 
3. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the almond paste, butter, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla on low speed until blended; gradually increase the speed to high and cream until very light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes, stopping the mixer frequently to scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 
4. Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter. 
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the batter. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Rap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake is a deep golden color and a wooden skewer poked in the middle comes out just barely clean, 42 to 45 minutes. The cake might crack on the surface as it bakes; don't worry, this simply provides a way for the cake to soak up more of the lemon custard. 
7. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Gently invert the cake onto the rack, leaving on the parchment paper until you assemble the cake. Flip the cake right side up and continue to cool the cake on the rack until it reaches room temperature. 
8. To finish the cake, remove the parchment paper and place the cake right side up on a flat plate. Using a metal spatula, spread a thin layer of the lemon custard on the sides of the cake to seal the cake and give it a light shine. Put the rest of the lemon custard on top of the cake, spreading it just barely out to the edge. Use your spatula to make a swirly design in the custard on the top of the cake. Allow the assembled cake (or really, the lemon custard) to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
9. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving (this will take about an hour). Any leftover cake keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cake from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson