Lemon Meringue Cake

Inspired by a lemon meringue tart, this cake is light, tangy and not overly sweet. It features layers of gluten-free vanilla cake, filled with swiss meringue buttercream and lemon curd, and covered in toasted meringue.

Nadia Ingram’s Lemon Dream Cake was actually the original inspiration for this cake. I visited her bakery, Flour and Stone, in Sydney last year. Her lemon cake features a vanilla sponge and layer of meringue baked together, then filled with whipped cream and lemon curd. When I tried to make it using my standard gluten-free cake recipe, I could not get the cake layer to bake properly since the meringue was spread on top. I had to experiment further and wanted to incorporate a toasted meringue element, so I landed on this version.

Truthfully, lemon meringue tart has never been my favourite dessert, which perhaps made this cake even more difficult to get right. I originally baked three 15cm cake layers, but only used two in assembly because I was worried there wasn’t enough meringue to cover the outside. As usual, there are some important recipe notes.

• This is a butter-based cake recipe involving the creaming method. To incorporate air and yield a light cake, it is important to cream the butter and sugar for at least five minutes on high speed. Do not rush this step.
• Since the butter is at room temperature, the eggs should also be at room temperature. If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge, you can place your eggs in hot (not boiling) water for 5 minutes.
• This specific blend and ratio of flours is pivotal in achieving that light yet moist texture. It is very important for the white rice flour to be super fine. Some of the products in Australia supermarkets are not finely ground but course and gritty, so just be careful. I prefer to develop recipes with the individual flours rather than using a store-bought GF flour blend, because each brand has a different mix of flours and may not necessarily work. Please don’t be intimidated by the amount of ingredients.

To make the lemon curd, it’s simply a combination of egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and butter. I prefer not to include the zest, as the curd has enough tang without it. Make sure to save the egg whites for the meringue. The recipe below will make more than enough curd for this cake, since the it is only used in one layer. The curd will thicken as it cools.

For the swiss meringue buttercream, set aside a portion of the meringue before adding the butter – this reserved meringue will be used to coat the cake. I miscalculated and didn’t have enough butter at room temperature for the buttercream, so it didn’t emulsify properly. At first, I suspected a temperature issue, but even after chilling the bowl, the mixture remained soupy. I’ve adjusted the recipe below, though it will need another test to refine the quantities.

For assembly, begin by trimming the cakes and removing the thin skin that has formed on top. Spread a generous layer of buttercream, then pipe a dam around the edge to hold the lemon curd. A crumb coat isn’t strictly necessary, but chilling the cake for about 15 minutes will help stabilise it before decorating with the meringue. I do recommend refrigerating the cake, and brining it to room temperature before serving.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and have a great week!

Lemon Meringue Cake

Makes a two-layer 15cm cake.

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

• 115g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 115g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 40g almond meal
• 60g white rice flour
• 20g potato starch
• 10g tapioca starch
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 2-4 tbsp water

Lemon Curd

• 2 egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 50ml lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• Pinch of salt
• 45g unsalted butter, cubed

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 130g egg whites (around 4 large eggs)
• 260g caster sugar
• 165g unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Vanilla Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 15cm cake tins with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and pale in colour, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the almond meal, rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder and xanthan gum. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the water, starting with 2 tbsp, and mix on medium-low speed until fluffy and a smooth batter has formed, about 30 seconds. If the batter feels too thick, add more water.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake tins (around 240g per tin). Bake for 23-27 minutes, or until golden and the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow the cakes to cool in tins for about 20 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Curd

1. In a small saucepan, combine the egg yolks, caster sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk over medium heat until slightly thickened and sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, and simmer for about 3-5 minutes until thickened and well emulsified.
3. Strain the curd through a sieve to remove any lumps. Cover and refrigerate until cool.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. In a standmixer bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers and you should feel no granules of sugar. It should heated to around 71-74°C.
2. Remove from the heat. Place the bowl onto your stand mixture fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed for 10 minutes. Remove 200g of meringue and set aside for covering the cake. Whip the remaining meringue for a further 5 minutes or until the bowl feels cool to the touch.
3. On low speed, add the butter a few cubes at a time. The butter should be completely incorporated before adding the next lot of butter. To do this, beat on medium speed in between each addition.
4. When all of the butter has been added, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed for 5-8 minutes.
5. Switch the whisk to a paddle attachment, then add the vanilla extract. Finally, beat on low speed for 5 minutes.

Decorating and Assembly

1. Trim and level the cooled cakes, removing the skin that has formed on top.
2. Spread a a small amount of buttercream onto your serving plate, then place your first layer of cake onto the plate. This helps the cake remain in place.
3. Spread a generous amount of buttercream onto the cake, then pipe a dam around the edge of cake using a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle. Fill the centre lemon curd. Place the second layer of cake on top.
4. Use a cake scraper to smooth the outside of the cake, then refrigerate for 10–15 minutes to set.
5. Cover the cake with the reserved meringue, then torch until golden brown with a blow torch.