Do you love the flavours of a classic lemon meringue pie, but all that fiddly pastry just seems like a bit too much work? If so, this may be just the recipe you’re looking for.
Created in a hurry and almost by accident, this recipe has become a fast favourite in my family, and the compliments I’ve received have been quite overwhelming!
The recipe below makes a cake half the size of the one pictured, so don’t panic about having lots of leftovers. Of course you wanted to, you could always double up the ingredients to make a giant 4-layer cake like mine!
A play on a lemon meringue pie, but without all that fussy pastry!
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time1 hourhr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 12
Calories: 747kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
300gcaster sugar
150gunsalted butter(softened)
2lemons(unwaxed)
400gplain flour
1tspfine salt
1tspbaking powder
1tspbaking soda
4eggs(large)
1tbspvanilla extract
300mlsoured cream(room temperature)
Lemon Buttercream
125gegg whites
250gcaster sugar
375gunsalted butter(softened)
yellow food colouring(optional)
lemon curd(to taste)
Italian Meringue
2egg whites
150gcaster sugar
Instructions
Lemon cake
Preheat the Oven 180c/160c fan
Spray two 8-inch cake tins with oil, and line the bottom with baking parchment.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter until very pale.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir with a whisk or fork to ensure raising agents are evenly distributed.
Once the butter mixture is pale and fluffy, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again.
Finely grate the zest of the lemons and then juice them. Add both zest and juice to the bowl, and beat well to incorporate. Scrape down the bowl and mix again.
Add about half of the flour, and mix on low speed until just coming together.
Scrape the soured cream into the bowl, and mix again until the batter is smooth.
Finally, add the remaining flour, and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, and ensure everything is evenly mixed.
Distribute the batter evenly between the two cake tins, about 700g in each one.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is completely firm.
Leave the cakes to cool completely in the tins.
Lemon buttercream
Place the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof bowl, and set over a bain-marie.
Stir gently over a medium heat until the sugar has all dissolved.
Whisk the meringue mixture for about 7 minutes, until cool and thick.
Add the butter, a little at a time, and continue whisking until the buttercream is smooth.
Mix in the lemon curd, tasting occasionally, until you reach the desired flavour.
If desired, add a little yellow food colouring to boost the colour. Ensure the food colouring is evenly distributed before you continue.
Assembly
Remove the cakes from the tins and level off with a bread knife.
Stack the cakes on the presentation board/plate, using a thick layer of the buttercream to sandwich them.
Spread the remaining buttercream all over the outside of the cake, and smooth over using a cake scraper or palette knife
Italian Meringue
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, and whisk until soft peaks form. Turn off the mixer.
Weigh the sugar into a small saucepan, and add just enough water to give it the consistency of wet sand.
Place the saucepan over a medium heat, until the syrup reaches 118c
Turn the stand mixer back on high speed, and pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl is a slow and steady stream.
Leave the stand mixer running until the meringue is completely cool.
Assembly
Decorate the cake with the Italian meringue, and then use a blow torch to add some attractive caramelisation.
Hello! This looks incredible and I really want to try it! Question about the recipe, you mention creaming butter, sugar and oil however there is not oil listed in ingredients and no mention what to do with the two lemons? I’m assuming some grated rind and juice but wondering how much?
Thank you again and I can’t wait to try!
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
2 comments
Hello! This looks incredible and I really want to try it! Question about the recipe, you mention creaming butter, sugar and oil however there is not oil listed in ingredients and no mention what to do with the two lemons? I’m assuming some grated rind and juice but wondering how much?
Thank you again and I can’t wait to try!
Ooops! I copied the method from a different iternation of my sponge cake – it should be fixed now 🙂