Easter Egg Cakes

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Generously butter an egg-cake pan, and dust
with flour; tap out any excess flour. Set pan aside. In the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and
granulated sugar. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the seeds from the vanilla bean and the lemon zest; beat to combine.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping
sides of bowl. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to
butter mixture. Beat until just combined. Spoon batter into each of nine
wells, filling about half full. Bake the egg cakes for 10 minutes. Increase
the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until the cakes are golden,
10 to 12 minutes more. Transfer egg-cake pan to a wire rack, and let cool
slightly. Invert pan, and remove cakes. Using a serrated knife, trim the
cakes to resemble eggs sliced in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out a
1-inch-diameter hole in each cake. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Place the cakes flat-side down on the wire rack. Working quickly, pour the
colored butter glaze over each cake, completely coating the outside. After
about 1 minute, gently lift the cakes with a wooden skewer so that they
don’t stick to the wire rack. Let the glaze set completely, about 1 hour.
Turn the glazed cakes over, and trim away any excess glaze with a paring
knife so glaze is flush with the flat side of cake. Wash and dry the wire
rack. Place cakes glazed-side down on the wire rack; generously dust flat
side with confectioners’ sugar. Fit a pastry bag with a #11 pastry tip, and
fill the bag with lemon curd. Fill each hole with lemon curd until the
“yolk” appears slightly rounded. On each dessert plate, place a decorated
cake. Garnish each serving with a mint sprig. LEMON CURD: Combine yolks,
lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.
Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure
to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat
back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Add the
butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until
consistency is smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of
plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from
forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, 1
hour. Store refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days. COLORED
BUTTER GLAZE: Place the milk in a small bowl, and stir in the liquid paste
color; set aside. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl, and set
aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat,
and immediately pour butter into the bowl with the sugar. Add half of the
milk, and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk as needed to make a
mixture that is just thin enough so that it runs down the sides of the
cakes. Makes 9 individual cakes.