Lemon Meringue Cake
- Ready In:
- 1hr 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Yields:
-
1 nine inch layer cake
ingredients
-
Cake
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 lb unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
-
Curd
- 9 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
-
Meringue
- 2 1⁄4 cups sugar
- 1 1⁄2 cups egg whites (about 1 dozen whites from extra large eggs)
- 3⁄4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
directions
- Cake-----------.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Butter 2 9" round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
- Butter the paper and dust the pans lightly with flour, tapping out any excess In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar with the butter at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- Beat in the flour mixture at low speed in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beat until just smooth.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool on racks for 10 minutes, then unmold onto the racks and let cool completely.
- Curd------------.
- Fill a large bowl with ice water.
- In a heavy medium sauce pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, lemon juice and salt.
- Add the butter and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the curd is thick nd just beginning to simmer, about 5 minutes.
- Set the saucepan in the water bath and chill the curd, whisking occasionally.
- Meringue------.
- In a saucepan, bring 1" of water to a boil.
- In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sugar, egg whites and lemon juice.
- Set the bowl over the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves, about 6 minutes.
- Return the bowl to the mixer and beat the meringue at medium speed for about 10 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.
- Continue beating at high speed until the meringue is thick, shiny and billowy, about 15 minutes longer.
- Assemble the cake-----------.
- Using a serrated knife, trim the cake tops to make them level.
- Halve each cake horizontally.
- Set 1 layer on a cake plate, cut side up, spread with 1/3 of the curd.
- Set another layer on top and spread with another 1/3 of the curd.
- Set another layer on top and spread the remaining curd, cover with the final layer of cake, cut side down.
- With a large offset spatula, frost the sides of the cake with a thin layer of meringue.
- Top the cake with the remaining meringue and swirl decoratively, then serve.
- Make ahead: The layers can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.
- The curd can be refrigerated for 3 days.
- The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
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Reviews
-
This cake has an awsome lemon flavor. I thought the cake sounded bland so added 1T of lemon zest. I didn't need to. The cake is very very sweet. The only problems I encountered were the meringue is way way too much. And I put it on thick and high but still threw about half the bowl away. The other problem is because it is refrigerated, it is a little dry. But, I enjoyed it. It is good.
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I haven't rated this recipe before because I only use the Meringue, but after having a mini melt down because I couldn't find it this year, I'm going to rate it anyway. I don't think it's fair to give it less than a 5 simply because I haven't tried the other components (I'm just lazy, I use a box cake and lemon cook & serve Jello lemon pudding for the filling). This meringue is fantastic, the other reviewers are correct, it does make a lot, so I half the recipe. It's really great full recipe though when you make cupcakes as you have tons of frosting to really heap on. Love, love, love this recipe & now I will be able to find it easily next year!!!!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Miss Erin C.
Minneapolis, Missouri
Mom to 4 boys, city dweller, eater, craft beer enthusiast, original Recipezaar member.