Lemon Meringue Cake

Lemon Meringue Cake- a beautifully light homemade sponge cake layered with fresh lemon curd & covered in sweet meringue; the perfect Sunday dinner dessert.

Lemon Meringue Cake

I’ve had a hankering to try my own version of a lemon meringue cake for a while now and I took the opportunity to indulge my love of lemon desserts when we had guests for dinner a couple of nights ago and believe me it was quite well received. I like a really intense lemon flavor in the lemon curd that fills this cake, so I have added lots of lemon zest to it. If you prefer a lighter lemon flavor, just reduce or omit the lemon zest to suit your own taste.

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Lemon Meringue Cake

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Lemon Meringue Cake- a beautifully light homemade sponge cake layered with fresh lemon curd & covered in sweet meringue; the perfect Sunday dinner dessert.

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12

Author: Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

For the Lemon Curd

• 6 lightly beaten egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• zest of two lemons very finely minced
• 1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces

For the Meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup white sugar

Instructions

To prepare the Lemon Curd

1. In a small saucepan combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
2. Cook slowly over medium low heat for about 10 minutes stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the butter a few pieces at a time until completely smooth.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill completely in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before using to fill the cake layers.

To prepare the Meringue

1. Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract together until soft peaks begin to form.
2. Gradually beat in the sugar, sprinkling in a couple of rounded tablespoons at a time.

To construct the cake

1. This cake must be constructed on an oven-safe serving plate.
2. Split the cake into four layers by cutting each of the two layers horizontally using a very sharp serrated bread knife. Fill the 3 center layers with the cold lemon curd.
3. Cover the entire cake with the meringue and bake in a 375 degree oven for just a few minutes to brown it. Turn the cake about 45 degrees every couple of minutes to ensure even browning.
4. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.