Lemon Lovers’ White Chocolate Cake

Cake
    •    Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
    •    Flour for dusting the pans
    •    6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
    •    1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
    •    2/3 cup water
    •    1/3 cup vegetable oil
    •    3 large eggs
    •    2 large egg whites
    •    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    •    1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
    •    Lemony White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)
    •    1/2 cup store-bought lemon curd (half of a 10-ounce jar)

Lemony White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
    •    6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
    •    1 package (8 ounces)cream cheese, at room temperature
    •    4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
    •    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    •    1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
    •    3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

    1.    Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
    2.    Melt the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a small rubber spatula until it is smooth.
    3.    Place the cake mix, water, oil, whole eggs, egg whites, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the slightly cooled white chocolate. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
    4.    Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 28 to 32 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
    5.    Meanwhile, prepare the Lemony White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows).
    6.    Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with the lemon curd. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with frosting.

Place this cake, uncovered or in a cake saver, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Then store it, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Lemony White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
    1.    Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
    2.    Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted white chocolate, and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the confectioners' sugar and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute or more.
    3.    Use to frost the top and sides of the cake of your choice.