{"id":23739,"date":"2015-03-11T12:10:10","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T16:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/?p=23739"},"modified":"2020-01-09T15:56:03","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T20:56:03","slug":"lemon-meringue-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/2015\/03\/lemon-meringue-cake.html","title":{"rendered":"Lemon Meringue Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Lemon Meringue Cake is bright, fresh and sure to impress! Lemon poppy seed cake with lemon curd and toasted meringue frosting.\u00a0A new layer cake recipe by our contributor,\u00a0Tessa Huff<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Lemon<\/div>\n

\"Lemon<\/p>\n

While some of us are enjoying an early spring, others may still be in the middle of one of the worst winters in decades.\u00a0 Either way, we can all find happiness in this sunny cake.\u00a0 Fortunately for everyone, winter citrus are in abundance this time of year, with bright, lively lemons everywhere. \u00a0I especially love finding and baking with Meyer Lemons. \u00a0They tend to be much sweeter and juicier than other types, bringing great, vibrant flavor to delicious, lemony desserts. \u00a0So whether you are aiming to match the spring sunshine or need to beat your still-winter blues, this Lemon Meringue Cake is your answer.<\/p>\n

\"Lemon<\/p>\n

I have not-so-fond memories of eating store-bought lemon meringue pie as a kid. \u00a0The lemon flavor always tasted artificial while the spongy texture of the commercially-made meringue left much to be desired. \u00a0As a result, I was turned off by lemon desserts for years. \u00a0Not until I started baking from scratch did I realize how much a bit of fresh lemon could change an entire recipe. \u00a0To make up for the years of imitation lemon and and poorly-produced meringue, I decided to recreate the elements of lemon meringue – but in a cake.<\/p>\n

\"Lemon<\/p>\n

\"Lemon<\/p>\n

This Lemon Meringue Cake is extremely light, refreshing, and bursting with lemony flavor. \u00a0Where some butter-based cakes can be dense and velvety, the use of a neutral oil leaves these layers of cake feeling extra tender and airy. \u00a0The tangy buttermilk, cardamom, and lemon zest in the poppy seed cake add an extra punch of flavor and texture that pair perfectly with the fresh, zesty lemon curd. \u00a0The cake has been smothered with a light, not-so-sweet meringue icing. \u00a0For some extra flair and toasty flavor, the meringue has been lightly torched.<\/p>\n

\"Lemon<\/p>\n

LEMON MERINGUE CAKE<\/strong>
\na recipe by Tessa Huff<\/a><\/p>\n

For the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake:<\/em>
\n1 3\/4 cup sugar
\n2 1\/2 cups cake flour
\n2 teaspoons baking powder
\n1\/2 teaspoon baking soda
\n1 teaspoon salt
\n1 1\/2 teaspoons poppy seed
\n1\/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
\n2 eggs
\n1 cup buttermilk
\n1\/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil
\n1 teaspoon vanilla extract
\nzest of 1 lemon
\n3\/4 cup boiling water<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. \u00a0Grease and flour three 6″ round cake pans and set aside.<\/li>\n
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds and cardamom.<\/li>\n
  3. In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and lemon zest.<\/li>\n
  4. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.<\/li>\n
  5. Add the boiling water and stir to incorporate.<\/li>\n
  6. Evenly distribute the batter between the three prepared pans.\u00a0 Bake for about 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. \u00a0Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    For the Lemon Curd:<\/em>
    \n1\/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    \nzest of 1\/2 lemon
    \n3 egg yolks
    \n1\/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
    \n4 tablespoons butter, diced<\/p>\n

    Place the juice, zest, yolks, and sugar in a medium saucepan. \u00a0Stir to combine. \u00a0While stirring, heat over medium. \u00a0Continue to stir until mixture begins to thicken, about 6-8 minutes. \u00a0Curd should coat the back of a spoon when done cooking. \u00a0Once thickened, remove from the heat and add in the butter. \u00a0Stir to combine. \u00a0Strain curd into a heat-safe container. \u00a0Discard the zest. \u00a0Cover curd by placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the curd. \u00a0Refrigerate until cool and thick.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    For the Meringue Icing:<\/em>
    \n3 large egg whites
    \n3\/4 cup granulated sugar
    \npinch salt
    \n1\/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    \n    Kitchen Torch<\/a>\"\" (for toasting)<\/p>\n

    Place the whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. \u00a0Whisk to combine. \u00a0Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place over medium heat. \u00a0Place the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler.\u00a0 Whisking constantly, heat the egg white mixture until the sugar dissolves and it is warm to the touch. \u00a0Once warm, transfer the bowl back to the mixer. \u00a0With the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high until medium-stiff glossy peaks. \u00a0Add in the salt and vanilla and mix until combined. \u00a0Use immediately.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    NOTES:<\/em><\/p>\n

    Use plain vanilla buttercream to create a dam to hold in the lemon curd filling when assembling, if desired.<\/p>\n

    If you want a higher lemon curd to cake ratio, plan to double the lemon curd recipe for extra filling.<\/p>\n

    Use an off-set spatula to create a rustic finish with the meringue icing.<\/p>\n

    Use a kitchen torch<\/a>\"\"to toast the meringue icing. \u00a0Hold flame about 6-8 inches away from the surface of the cake and do not keep the flame in the same place for longer than a couple seconds.<\/p>\n

    \"Lemon<\/p>\n

    \"Lemon<\/p>\n

    \n

     <\/p>\n

    YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:<\/strong>
    \n    Lemon Blueberry Cake<\/a>
    \n    Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes<\/a>
    \n    Candied Lemon Bundt Cake<\/a>
    \n    Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts<\/a>
    \n    Lemon Slice Cake Toppers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Our contributor, Tessa Huff, is sharing a fresh new cake recipe today…. While some of us are enjoying an early spring, others may still be in the middle of one of the worst winters in decades. Either way, we can all find happiness in this sunny cake. Fortunately for everyone, winter citrus are in abundance this time of year, with bright, lively lemons everywhere. I especially love finding and baking with Meyer Lemons. They tend to be much sweeter and juicier than other types, bringing great, vibrant flavor to delicious, lemony desserts. So whether you are aiming to match the spring sunshine or need to beat your still-winter blues, this Lemon Meringue Cake is your answer. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":23743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[295,223,354,215,96,47,224],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-23739","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog","8":"category-cakes","9":"category-citrus","10":"category-easter","11":"category-mothers-day","12":"category-recipes","13":"category-tessa-huff","14":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23739"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33874,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23739\/revisions\/33874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}