Recipe for easy cake mix with lemon tartlets

The lemon tree filling and the fluffy frothiness give this layer cake all the flavour you’d get from a lemon wedge!

You could also use two or three cans of lemon curd for the filling, but that would be more expensive. Or make a homemade lemon curd double recipe to fill the cake.

What you’ll need

1 lemon cake mix 1 can (22 oz) lemon juice filling, divided 1/2 cup buttermilk 4 large eggs for Fluffy Frosting 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 tbsp white corn syrup 3 large egg whites 1/2 teaspoon tartar cream 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

How to make it

Grease a two- and eight-inch round cake pan. Preheat oven to 350°.

Make 1 cup milk filling; cover and freeze for later. Place remaining pie filling (about 1 1/4 cups) in mixing bowl with buttermilk and eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in cake mix to blend mixture. Spin sides of bowl with an electric mixer on high speed a few times for 2 minutes.

Drain batter into pans.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until cake springs back easily with your finger. Cool pans on rack for 15 minutes. Cool completely before covering.

Invert one cake onto a serving platter. Drizzle the lemon filling over the top of this layer, then cover with another layer. Frost the top and sides with fluffy whipped topping (below) or store-bought creamy frosting as desired.

Cook the frosting

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup and granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Cook until the heat reaches a temperature of 232 F to 236 F. If you don’t have a reliable compass thermometer, you can test the syrup by pushing a small amount together with a spoon. Let this spoon drip off into a saucepan. Strain it carefully. If it spins a visible “trap” with the last drops, it’s done.

In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of the pot until the egg whites begin to hold their shape. Continue beating, gradually adding the hot syrup in a slow, thin, steady stream for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. A mixer with a heavy-duty attachment works great if you have one on hand.

Add the vanilla extract and continue beating until the coating holds in stiff peaks.