Lemon Meringue Layer Cake
- Yield 10 to 12 servings
- Prep 30 mins
- Cook 90 mins
Ingredients
- Mascarpone Frosting;
- 1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cake;
- 7 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated or superfine sugar
- 3/4 cup self-rising flour
- -- finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- -- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 -- eggs
- 4 -- egg whites
- 1 1/3 cups granulated or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 cup ground almonds
- -- Mascarpone frosting
- 2/3 cup lemon curd
- 2 tablespoons limoncello liqueur
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flaked almonds
Instructions
- Mascarpone Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese and butter with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
- Sift in the confectioners' sugar.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Using a palette knife, spread thickly over your chosen cake.
- For Cake:
- Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, half the almonds, half the zest, juice and eggs.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen. Cool in pan, turn out onto rack.
- Lower oven to 275F. Beat egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in sugar.
- Add the cream of tartar and vinegar at high speed. Fold in the ground almonds and remaining lemon zest.
- Divide mix between 2 lined baking sheets. Spread into 8-inch rounds.
- Bake for 60 minutes, until the paper peels away from the base of the meringue. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- For the filling, mix the lemon curd and limoncello. Prepare the mascarpone frosting in another bowl.
- To assemble, cut the cake in half and place one of the halves on a plate. Spread on a quarter of the lemon curd, then a quarter of the frosting.
- Put a meringue on top and spread more limoncello mix and frosting over. Repeat with another cake layer and finish with a meringue.
- Spread the remaining frosting over the top, drizzle with the limoncello and scatter the flaked almonds overtop.
Variation for Frosting: Omit vanilla extract and add 3 tablespoons coca powder. Add seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean.
Variation for Cake: As an alternative, you can use the meringue as a pudding. Serve with cream and fresh summer fruits for a great summer treat.
Reprinted with permission from Abi Fawcett's My Cooking Class: Cake Basics (Firefly Booksm Ltd., 2012)
