• Zest 1-2 of the five lemons for 1 tbsp of zest. Then juice all 5 lemons until you have about half a cup of lemon juice. Use a lemon squeeze/strainer to remove the seeds and lemon pulp.
• Combine dry ingredients - sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan.
• Add milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set on low heat.
• Stir continuously with a whisk on low heat until the mix thickens. Keep heating until it bubbles and coats the back of a spoon.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter to melt.
• Optional: Add the drops of food coloring to combine. Gel food coloring is condensed (1-2 drops should be fine) but if you want the curd more yellow then judge color preference. No need to go super bright yellow.
• Transfer the lemon curd to a glass bowl and cover the top of the curd with cling wrap so a skin does not form. Chill in the frig until cold. The lemon curd will thicken as it chills. The curd takes on a custard consistency.
• After your lemon curd is chilled use for desserts or freeze in a glass mason jar. Leave extra space for the juice in the curd to expand.

Lemon Curd for Cake Filling

• Prep your cake layer: After trimming your cake, add simple syrup, and pipe your frosting dam. The dam helps keep your filling centered and in place from spilling over the sides.
• Use a wire whisk to loosen up your lemon curd from being chilled. Once it's spreadable coat your cake middle with the chilled curd. Be careful not to overfill the center as the filling could seep out of your cake layer/s after they're stacked and frosted. Use no more than 1/4" filling thickness. This is a safe bet.
• After all your cake layers are filled and stacked, crumb coat your cake and chill for 15-20 min. Then cover the entire cake with your desired frosting or genache.
• Next - use dowels or large bubble straws to secure your cake layers from slippage. This also helps release trapped air so your cake settles properly. Cake size will determine how many dowels or straws are needed.
• Always chill your cakes hours up to serving especially if you have a filling in your cake that must be refrigerated. Even eggless lemon curd needs chilling. Allow a few hours for the cake to reach (cool) room temperature before your celebration so the cake is not too cold for better taste and texture.