Lemon Meringue Cake - cake flour

Method

• Cake-----------.
• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
• Butter 2 9" round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
• Butter the paper and dust the pans lightly with flour, tapping out any excess In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar with the butter at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla.
• Beat in the flour mixture at low speed in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beat until just smooth.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool on racks for 10 minutes, then unmold onto the racks and let cool completely.
• Curd------------.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• In a heavy medium sauce pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, lemon juice and salt.
• Add the butter and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the curd is thick nd just beginning to simmer, about 5 minutes.
• Set the saucepan in the water bath and chill the curd, whisking occasionally.
• Meringue------.
• In a saucepan, bring 1" of water to a boil.
• In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sugar, egg whites and lemon juice.
• Set the bowl over the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves, about 6 minutes.
• Return the bowl to the mixer and beat the meringue at medium speed for about 10 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.
• Continue beating at high speed until the meringue is thick, shiny and billowy, about 15 minutes longer.
• Assemble the cake-----------.
• Using a serrated knife, trim the cake tops to make them level.
• Halve each cake horizontally.
• Set 1 layer on a cake plate, cut side up, spread with 1/3 of the curd.
• Set another layer on top and spread with another 1/3 of the curd.
• Set another layer on top and spread the remaining curd, cover with the final layer of cake, cut side down.
• With a large offset spatula, frost the sides of the cake with a thin layer of meringue.
• Top the cake with the remaining meringue and swirl decoratively, then serve.
• Make ahead: The layers can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.
• The curd can be refrigerated for 3 days.
• The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.