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.
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.
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
In a small saucepan combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
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.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter a few pieces at a time until completely smooth.
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
Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract together until soft peaks begin to form.
Gradually beat in the sugar, sprinkling in a couple of rounded tablespoons at a time.
To construct the cake
This cake must be constructed on an oven-safe serving plate.
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.
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.
Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
Amount Per Serving Unsaturated Fat 0g
Cara L
Wednesday 11th of September 2019
Loved this recipe. It is light, lemony and delicious. The only changes I made were that I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup in the lemon curd and only used the rind of one lemon. For the meringue I used 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar. In my oven it took 8 minutes at 375 degrees to brown the meringue perfectly; I rotated the plate 45 degrees every couple of minutes to ensure even browning. It turned out beautifully. Five stars.
Constance Stanza Extravaganza Extraordinaire
Friday 20th of April 2012
OM! NOM! NOM!!!
willamettevalleyhomesteader
Thursday 2nd of February 2012
OMG! I want this! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to make it.