Alastair Hendy's Lemon Curd Layer Cake

Gloriously gooey, zealously zesty.

1. 1

   1. Lightly butter 2 x 20cm diameter cake sandwich tins. Line the bases with discs of greaseproof or baking paper and butter these as well. Set the oven to 170C/150C fan/ 325F/gas 3.
   2. Put the flour with the baking powder into a mixing bowl, add knobs of the softened butter, shake over the sugar, then add the eggs and the vanilla. Then beat everything together until thick and well blended. Alternatively, use a processor for mixing.
   3. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and smooth the surfaces. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until just springy when prodded in the middle and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then loosen the sides with a bendy knife and turn out on to a wire rack.
   4. Peel off the paper bases and leave to go cold. Using a bread knife, slice each sponge in half horizontally to make 4 thin discs of sponge.
   5. Spread each layer of cake with mascarpone, drizzle over lemon curd (alternatively, if you prefer, swirl the mascarpone and lemon curd together) then sandwich the layers together. Refrigerate for about 1 hour to set. Serve at room temperature.
   
   For the lemon curd
   FOR 2 JARS ABOUT 800g
   
   1. Finely grate the zest of 4 unwaxed lemons into a heatproof bowl.
   2. Juice the lemons and add the juice to the bowl. Beat 4 medium eggs and add these.
   3. Add 120g butter and 450g caster sugar and sit the bowl
   over a pan of simmering water – making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick, about 15 minutes – the curd should coat the back of the spoon. Take care not to overheat or the eggs will start to scramble.
   4. Allow to cool, then transfer to jars, refrigerate and use within a week.
   5. To make 1 jar, just halve the quantities.