Three-tiered Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8- by 2-inch square cake
pans and line with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and sugar in
the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light
and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder twice. Add to egg mixture,
alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour. Add vanilla and stir
just until thoroughly blended. Gently fold in the zest. Pour the batter
into prepared pans and bake for 90 minutes; cakes are done when a tester
inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean. Let cool in pans for
about 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack, remove parchment, and cool
completely. Meanwhile, prepare Meringue Buttercream: In a small saucepan
over medium heat, bring sugar and 1/3 cup water to a boil. Boil until syrup
reaches soft-ball stage (238 degrees on a candy thermometer). Meanwhile,
beat egg whites on low until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on
medium-high until stiff but not dry. With mixer running, pour syrup into
egg whites in a steady stream, and beat on high speed until completely
cool, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cream butter in a separate bowl to
soften. Beat in butter gradually. Add vanilla, beat 2 to 3 minutes, until
frosting is smooth and spreadable. If it looks curdled during the beating
process, continue beating until smooth. Once the cakes have cooled, trim
each so that they are level and even. Each trimmed cake should be about 2
inches high. Brush the top and sides of each cake with a pastry brush to
remove crumbs. The bottom tier will need a sturdy base. Trace a 6-inch
square onto a piece of foam board 3/16-inch thick (available from art
supply stores). Cut out the square with a utility knife. Cut one cake into
a 6- by 6-inch square. Set aside, reserving the leftover cake for another
use. Place cake on foam board. Cut the second cake into 2 smaller squares,
one 3 3/4- by 3 3/4-inches and the second into a square 2 1/4- by 2
1/4-inches. Once again, reserve the leftover cake for another use. Brush
the top and sides of each cake to remove crumbs. Using an offset spatula,
ice top of the 6-inch-square cake with buttercream to give the tier a
“crumb coat,” a thin layer of icing that seals the cake. Start from the
center and work out, making sure to push the buttercream over the sides of
the cake. Smooth the icing, and chill in the refrigerator to set until
smooth to the touch, about 30 minutes to one hour, until it doesn’t stick
when you touch it. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Assemble the cake by
placing the tiers on top of one another in descending order of size. Once
assembled, give the tiers a final coat of buttercream. Use an offset
spatula to smooth the icing. (Dipping the offset spatula in warm water,
then wiping it off again, will make a clean finished edge.) Reserve extra
buttercream for decorating. Chill in the refrigerator to set the icing,
about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Once the final coat sets, fill a pastry bag
with the reserved buttercream; fit with a round #3 pastry tip and pipe a
decorative border along the edges of each tier. Makes 1 three-tiered cake.