Lemon Meringue Cake

Lemon Meringue Cake


Sponge cake:




1 cup flour



2/3 cup sugar



1 teaspoon zest of lemon



5 large eggs, room temperature







Lemon Curd:



6 large egg yolks



1 cup sugar



¾ cup lemon juice



pinch salt



zest of 1 lemon



2 tablespoons unsalted butter







2/3 cup raspberry jam







Meringue:



1 cup egg whites



2 cups sugar



½ teaspoon vanilla



pinch salt







Baking the Lemon Sponge:



Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and grease the paper.



Beat the sugar, zest, and eggs in a stand mixer using the whip attachment, on high speed for about 5 minutes. The eggs will be light in color and very thick.



Sift the flour over the egg mixture and fold it in carefully with a rubber spatula.



Pour into the prepared pan and quickly spread it out evenly.







Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.







To make the Lemon Curd:



In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt and zest. Place the bowl over a medium sized sauce pot that has an inch of simmering water in it. Using a tempered rubber spatula stir the lemon mixture over the heat until it thickens. This can take 5 to 10 minutes. As the lemon curd thickens it should cling to the rubber spatula. It will be thick like a pudding.



Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Strain the curd into a container and cover with plastic. Put in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the curd is cold but not frozen. Remove and place in refrigerator until ready to use. It will be good for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.



To assemble the cake:







Cut the cake in 3 equal pieces along the long side of the cake. Place one layer of the cake on a platter. Spread 1/3 cup preserves on the cake, followed by 1/3 cup lemon curd. Repeat with the next layer of cake, preserves and lemon curd.







Finally, top with the last layer of cake.



To make the meringue:







Whisk together the egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Rest the bowl over a pot of simmering water to form a double boiler.







Scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all the sugar is off the sides of the bowl. Continue to stir the mixture until all the sugar is melted into the eggs and you no longer feel any graininess when rubbed between your fingers, about 3-5 minutes.







Place the bowl onto your mixer, add the vanilla and salt, whisk on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy and the bowl is just warmer than room temperature, about 8 minutes.



Here is the equipment you will need to decorate the cake:



16-Inch disposable Decorating Bags



large rose Ateco Decorating Tip 128



extra large Flower Nail, Extra-Large Rose, 3″ Diameter (Ateco #914)



Large Leaf Decorating Tip 65s/263



Kitchen Shear



Watch my short video to see how to create the meringue roses:







To decorate the base of the cake:







Use a large rose tip, to make the flowers and to pipe the striped base. Starting at the top edge of the cake with the narrow end of the rose tip facing up, pipe a continuous spiral all the way down the cake, being careful to overlap the previous stripe.







You can leave the meringue pristine and white.







Or, you can toast the meringue with a Self-Igniting Blow Torch, which gives it more flavor and the drama of the burnt edges.







Either way you and your mother will love it!



Happy Mother’s Day!