lemon meringue cake

This was an Easter Weekend treat that I made at the very spur of the moment. I was slightly skeptical about how it would go down (being a lemon meringue pie & a cake hybrid), but it was surprisingly yummy!

* The original recipe is from the LeCreuset website & is for cupcakes.  Unfortunately the recipe contains a few mistakes, but it still works. Here’s my very slightly adapted version:

Lemon Meringue Cake, makes 24 cupcakes or two cakes

250g butter

330g self raising flower

A pinch of salt

500ml sugar

4 eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

250ml milk

125ml lemon curd

A dash of vanilla extract

Icing:

3 egg whites

250ml sugar

125ml water

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Sift the flour & salt together. Cream the butter & sugar together for about five minutes or until the mixture is light & fluffy. Now beat in the vanilla extract & lemon zest. Beat the eggs together & gradually add a little egg to the butter & sugar mixture, beating well in between. The mixture should stay smooth until you’ve added all the eggs.

Sift the flour into the butter mixture & fold together. When almost completely incorporated, add the milk.  When almost completely incorporated, add the milk.

Pour your batter into two cake tins or (over-proof) dishes. If you are making cupcakes, then fill each cupcake case only ¾.

Place in the oven & turn it down to 180°C. The cake should take about 30 – 40 minutes & the cup cakes probably only 20 minutes in the oven. Remember that all ovens differ, so check your cake through the oven window quite often. The cake needs to be golden brown when you take them out.

Let them cool completely, then make your icing by combining the sugar & water in a small sauce pan & stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place on the heat & boil [until the sugar has reached 121°C].  In the meantime, beat the egg whites until stiff, then slowly beat in the hot sugar syrup.

Spread a thick layer of lemon curd on your cakes (or, if you’re making cupcakes, spoon out a bit of the cavity & fill with lemon curd). Now spoon your meringue icing on top & caramelize with a blow torch.

[Excuse the quick quick iPhone snappies:  I had to take the pics very quickly, as I was still standing with the blow torch in my hand when the tea time guests were knocking at the door already!]

Give it a try!

Yolandi ♥