Lemon Layer Cake (Gluten Free)

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup canola oil, plus additional for greasing cake pans
• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour (use brown-rice flour mix, recipe 208712)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs

Lemon Curd

• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon guar gum
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Lemon Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

Directions

1. 1

   Make cake layers:.

2. 2

   Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Brush cake pans with canola oil. Line bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with a round of parchment or wax paper, then oil paper.

3. 3

   Whisk together flour mix, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum until combined well. Stir together milk, canola oil (1 cup), vanilla, and zest in another bowl.

4. 4

   Beat together sugar and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and milk mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.

5. 5

   Divide batter evenly between cake pans, smoothing tops, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

6. 6

   Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of 1 cake layer and invert rack over cake pan, then invert cake onto rack. Repeat with second layer. Peel off paper and cool layers completely.

7. 7

   Make curd:.

8. 8

   Whisk together zest, lemon juice, sugar, yolks, a pinch of salt, and guar gum in a 1-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 5 minutes. Whisk in extract. Immediately pour curd into a bowl, then cover surface with wax paper and chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

9. 9

   Make frosting:.

10. 10

    Beat butter with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add confectioners sugar, lemon juice, extract, and zest, then mix until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes.

11. 11

    Frost cake:.

12. 12

    Halve each cake layer horizontally using a long serrated knife. Spread bottom half of each cake layer with half of lemon curd, then top with remaining cake layers to form two sandwiched cakes. Put 1 sandwiched cake on a cake stand or platter and spread a heaping 1/2 cup frosting over top, then cover with remaining sandwiched cake. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

13. 13

    Cooks' notes:.

14. 14

    Cake layers can be made (but not halved) 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

15. 15

    Lemon curd can be chilled up to 3 days.

16. 16

    Cake can be completely assembled and frosted 4 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.