Putting the zest into Summer

A recipe for you today and this is perfect for summer! A lemon meringue pie... In cake form. YESSSSSS! This is refreshing, easy to make and although a bit time consuming [you do need plenty of time to make this if you are going to make all the bits n bobs], this cake is delicious with a nice cold drink and you sitting outside, enjoying a sunny day.

Now, I did make the lemon curd and the tiny meringues as well, you can always buy them in if you only have time to bake the cake.

Anyway, I will include all three recipes [one for each the cake, lemon curd and meringues] so just bare with this post as it will be a long one!

So let us begin...

The recipes I used are from BBC Food, Good to Know and All Recipes UK, no copyright intended.

 

FOR THE CAKE:

 [The recipe is from Good to Know, I only made the cake and frosting]

 

What you will need:
 

 For the lemon cake:

250gbutter, softened

250g caster sugar

250g self-raising flour

4 medium eggs

2tbsp milk

Finely zest rind of 2 lemons

 

For the lemon frosting:

125g unsalted butter, softened

250g icing sugar

4 level tbsp lemon curd

Pinch of salt

 

What to do now:

1. Set the oven to 180°C. To make the cake: Beat the butter, add the remaining ingredients to it and beat until smooth. Divide mixture between sandwich tins, and level surface. Bake cakes in the centre of oven for 30-35 mins, or until they have risen and feel just firm to the touch in the centre.
   
   Here is how to make the frosting but I made this last:
2.  Beat butter until very soft, then add remaining ingredients and beat well until fluffy. Spread over the top and sides of the cake.

 FOR THE LEMON CURD:

[The recipe is from BBC Food]

 

What you will need:

4 unwaxed lemons, zest and juice

200g/7oz unrefined caster sugar


100g/3½oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3 free-range eggs, plus 1 free-range egg yolk

 

What to do now:

1. Put the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the butter into a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and again until all of the butter has melted.
2. Lightly whisk the eggs and egg yolk and stir them into the lemon mixture. Whisk until all of the ingredients are well combined, then leave to cook for 10-13 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally as it cools. Once cooled, spoon the lemon curd into sterilised jars and seal. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

FOR THE MERINGUES:

[The recipe is from All Recipes UK]

 

What you will need:

 

 2 egg whites

100g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

What to do now:

1.  Preheat oven to 150 degrees C/300 degrees F/Gas Mark 2. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in sugar until a little of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger feels smooth, not gritty. Stir in vanilla. Pipe or spoon small portions onto tray and bake for 35 minutes, or until dry but not browned. Turn off the oven but leave meringues to cool down completely inside it.

After you have made all of these, if you decided to that is, then its time to assemble the cake, yummmmmy!

Basically, spread the buttercream in between the cake layers, over the top and sides. Pour over a bit of the lemon curd so it drips over the sides. I cut some spare lemon up into slices and placed on top but this is optional if you want but it adds something extra as well as the meringues, which you also put on as well!

 

And the final tasty treat...

 

I know, it does take a long time if you are making all the pieces but doesn't it look tasty!?
The sharp, tanginess of the lemon curd, the crunchiness of the meringues and the sweetness of the cake itself, it is really nice on the palette in the way that it's refreshing and there are different textures so it isn't all just soft and smooth.

It is definitely a cake for this hotttttttt weather we have been experiencing recently!

Until next time

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All photographs my own!