Lychee Jam

Yield: About 3 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cans lcyhees in syrup

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 3 tbs cornstarch

Method

1. Combine 1 can of lychees (syrup included), the sugar, and the cornstarch in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Drain the syrup from the second can of lychees, then add to the blended mixture. Pulse until mostly blended but irregular pieces of lychee remain visible, or as smooth as desired.

3. Pour contents into a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick enough to leave a trail on the back of a spoon. Jam will thicken further as it cools.

Lavender Buttercream

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 

• ¼  cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tbsp cornstarch

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 can evaporated milk (or 1 ½ cup whole milk)

• 2 tsp dried culinary lavender

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Thoroughly whisk in the evaporated milk. Strain the mixture into a medium saucepan, ensuring no lumps of flour or cornstarch remain. Add the lavender, then cook over medium heat while gently stirring constantly for about 20 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to stir to ensure the bottom of the pot is scraped and not burnt. Once the mixture is thick and bubbling, strain the mixture into a bowl to remove the lavender flowers. Stir in the vanilla, then chill overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. 

2. Remove the flour mixture and the butter from the fridge to bring them up to room temperature. Cut the butter into tablespoon sized cubes. Transfer the flour mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment. Add one tablespoon of butter to the mixture at a time, ensuring the previous cube is fully incorporated before the next cube. Scrape down the bowl periodically to ensure a full emulsion. 

3. Troubleshooting: if buttercream looks curdled, gently heat the bowl of the mixer using a hair dryer, moving the dryer all around the bowl (not keeping it in one place). If buttercream is too runny, try refrigerating for 10 minutes before whipping again. Best results are achieved when butter is lukewarm before adding to the flour mixture - should not be hot nor cold, should not be melted but should have a bit of give when pressed with a finger.

4. Use the buttercream immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days. When ready to use, bring the buttercream up to room temperature again by leaving it out for 30 minutes, then transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the proper texture is achieved. 

Lemon Layer Cake

Yield: two 6” cake layers, or one 8” cake layer (double the recipe for two 8” cake layers or 9” cake layers)

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature

• ¾ cups plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

• Zest and juice of 1 (large) lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 6” cake pans with baking spray, then line the bottoms with parchment. Spray the parchment as well. 

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium high speed for about 3 minutes, until creamy. Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula as needed to ensure all the sugar is being beat into the butter. Once lightened and fluffy, beat in the egg and vanilla extract on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, then add the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed until just combined. Add the buttermilk, followed by the lemon zest and juice. Scrape down the bowl to make sure there are no lumps in the batter, but do not over mix. 

4. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. If available, use cake baking strips to ensure a level top. Bake for about 20-30 min (cook time will vary by oven). Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

5. Remove the cakes from the oven, then let cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, invert the cakes onto the wire rack, topside down, to level out the cakes as they cool. Remove the parchment from the bottoms of the cake. Cool COMPLETELY before assembling and frosting the cake. Meanwhile, make frosting and/or filling, if not already pre-made.

Assembly

1. If cakes are still uneven, cut the domes from the tops of the cake layers. Dab a little of your frosting in the center of your serving plate or cake stand, then place the first cake layer on top of the frosting to ensure it sticks to the plate. 

2. Transfer about ½ a cup of buttercream to a piping bag (or, a ziplock bag with one corner cut off). Pipe a ring around the edge of the top of the cake to create a dam for the filling to flood. Spoon the lychee jam into the center of the cake. Place the next cake layer topside down (so that the flat bottom of the cake is now facing upward, making an easier surface to frost) on top of the filling. Center the cake as best as possible, then chill for a minimum of 20 minutes to ensure the dam does not ooze out of the sides of the cake.

3. Retrieve the cake from the fridge, then apply a thin layer of buttercream as a crumb coat (like a layer of paint primer) to fill in gaps and seal the crumbs. Chill for another 20 minutes.

4. Remove the cake from the fridge, then frost as desired. To use more of the lychee jam, leave the top of the cake unfrosted, building up the edge of the cake with buttercream to make another (more rustic looking) buttercream dam. Fill the center with the lychee jam. Garnish with lemon slices and torn lychee pieces as desired. Store in the fridge, but let sit out for 20 minutes before serving to allow buttercream to soften again.