Strawberry and Lemon Trifle

A few weeks ago I had my classes bake a lemon sheet cake.  We prepared lemon curd and a lemon drizzle icing.  The lesson was to cut the cakes using biscuit cutters and then layer to create “tiny” layer cakes that were then decorated.  There were pieces of lemon cake left along with lemon curd.

I lined the bottom of clear glass cups with lemon curd, layered in some lemon cake, topped with a little more lemon curd and then sliced strawberries and sweetened whipped cream and this to our surprise created a new delicious dessert!

Lemon Cake Mix prepared according to directions or your own favorite recipe.
Cool and break into bite sized pieces
Lemon Curd Recipe
3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Spoon lemon curd into serving dishes. Top with pieces of cake.  Spoon over a little more of the lemon curd.  This can be done an hour or so before serving.  When ready to serve top with fresh sliced strawberries and sweetened whipped cream.

From Ina Garten, the Food Network