Lemon Meringue Cake

One of my favorite flavors is Lemon. I just adore Lemon anything . . . cookies, puddings, pies, cakes . . . if it's lemon I am in taste heaven!
I love chocolate too, but when push comes to shove if I had to choose between the two, I think lemon would win every time!
That's why I am really excited to show you this recipe here today for Lemon Meringue Cake. This is a recipe I clipped out of a magazine many years ago and it is a real family favorite.

What you have here is a lovely buttery sponge cake bottom, topped with a lucious tart lemon filling The cake is iced with a sweet meringue and toasted in the oven.
It looks just like the pie, but it's not the pie. Its a cake. A lovely delicious Lemon Meringue Cake.

It tastes much like the pie actually except that there is no crust involved. Instead the cake provides a rich delicious base for the lemon custard filling.
The flavor of fresh lemon shines throughout. Both in the cake and in that rich filling. It truly is something special.
Lemon Meringue Cake

It had been years since I baked one and with us having my sister's birthday celebration today and with lemon being a family favorite, I decided to bake one for us to enjoy after our roast chicken dinner.
I can't wait to bring it out for everyone to dig into. I sure hope they leave room for dessert! If they don't, they will wish they had, and they might even over-indulge anyways because this cake is pretty difficult to resist!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A LEMON MERINGUE CAKE
Its pretty simple really. Just every day ordinary ingredients. No blow torch, no special pans, just one 9 inch cake pan, a saucepan to make the filling and simple ingredients.
For the cake:

1/4 cup (60g) butter, softened
1/2 cup (100g) finely granulated sugar
1 whole large free range egg, plus 2 large free range egg yolks (Save whites for meringue topping)
1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the lemon filling:

2 large free range egg yolks (save whites for meringue topping)
1 cup (240ml) water
3/4 cup (150g) finely granulated sugar
1/3 cup (47g) plain all purpose flour
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
1 TBS butter

For the meringue topping:

4 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup (100g) finely granulated sugar

There is no need to have any kind of specialized equipment. A hand mixer will get the job done and a 9-inch round cake tin, that's all.
I use salted butter and whole milk. Large free range eggs. Good quality lemon and vanilla extracts. Ordinary plain fresh lemons.
The fanciest I get is the use of a micro-plane grater to zest the lemon. It gets the zest to the perfect size without involving any of the bitter white pith!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON MERINGUE CAKE
Again, this is very simple to make and there is no reason why you can't have equal success in making this yourself.Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolks.Sift together the flour and baking powder and then beat into the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla and lemon essences, mixing in well.Butter and flour a nine inch round cake tin. Pour in the batter, level off and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit in the pan for five minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Lemon Meringue Cake

You can make the filling while the cake layer is baking. For the filling combine the flour and sugar in the top of a double boiler. Mix together the lemon juice, water and egg yolks and then stir into the flour/sugar mixture along with the lemon zest. Place over simmering water and cook, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool five minutes, then stir in the butter until melted. Set aside until cool.Place the cake layer on a plate (one that can handle some heat) and spread the lemon filling over top.Beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until the mixture begins to turn foamy, then continue to beat slowly adding the sugar until mixture is stiff, but not dry. Spread over the sides and top of the cake. Place in a 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4 oven and bake until the meringue browns. (10 to 15 minutes) (I put the cake on the oven proof plate on a baking tray for easy of moving it in and out of the oven.)Remove from oven and cool completely. Serve at room temperature, cutting slices with a wet knife. This helps to prevent the meringue from tearing as you cut it. Lemon Meringue Cake

One tip I have about making meringue is to separate your eggs, one at a time, placing the whites into a separate bowl. Do this with each egg before adding the white to the other whites. That way if you somehow get some yolk into the egg white, you can either remove it safely, or discard the white without contaminating all of your egg whites.
Its a simple fact, whites with any yolk or fat added to them at all will not whisk up in the way that they should. That is also why you need to use scrupulously clean beaters. So make sure your beaters have been washed and dried before you start beating the egg whites.
Lemon Meringue Cake

This really is a delicious cake and a wonderful surprise to anyone who might be lucky enough to have you serve it to them! They are sure to love it.
If you are as crazy about lemon desserts as I am you might also enjoy the following:
SUGAR FREE LEMON PUDDING CAKE - If you are avoiding sugar and carbs, this is the perfect dessert for you. You have all of the beautiful flavors without any sugar or flour, or other things to cause you problems. And its delicious.
LEMON BUTTERMILK CAKE - With its full on lemon flavors, moist dense cake and impossibly delicious glaze, this is a cake that never fails to please.
LEMON BARS - Sweet shortbread cookie base. Tart lemon curd filling/topping. There is nothing about these that isn't moreish. Nothing.