Lemon Meringue Cake Recipe

4.65 from 51 votes

Get ready for one delicious treat. Sweet and tangy, this layered lemon meringue cake is filled with lemon curd and topped with meringue for a tasty showstopper!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 10

Chilling time1

Total Time2 40

Course: cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: slices

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
9x5-inch loaf pan
Stand Mixer
Hand Mixer
Baking Sheet
Kitchen Torch (optional)

Ingredients

For the Cake

1½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
1½ tsp baking powder 6g
1 tbsp lemon zest 6g, from 1 lemon
½ tsp kosher salt
½ cup European style unsalted butter 113g, room temperature (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar 200g
2 large eggs 100g, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4g
2 tbsp lemon juice 28g, about ½ lemon
½ cup buttermilk 114g, room temperature

For the Lemon Curd

½ cup European style unsalted butter 113g (1 stick)
½ cup fresh lemon juice 114g, from 4 lemons
¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
8 egg yolks 112g

For the Meringue

8 egg whites 280g (about 1 cup)
1 cup granulated sugar 200g

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter. Add a piece of parchment paper lengthwise to help with removing the cake after baking.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, zest, and salt.
1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp lemon zest, ½ tsp kosher salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
½ cup European style unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on a low speed. Turn the speed up to medium-high and add in the vanilla and lemon juice.
2 large eggs, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 2 tbsp lemon juice
Put the mixer back on low and add about ½ of the flour mixture. Then half the buttermilk. Repeat until all of the flour and buttermilk are incorporated.
½ cup buttermilk
Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool while making your lemon curd and meringue.
Prepare the lemon curd. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and lemon juice over high heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and yolks.
½ cup European style unsalted butter, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 8 egg yolks
Slowly whisk together the hot lemon mixture into the egg mixture, a little at a time. Place the mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Allow to thicken for 6-8 minutes.
Pour the lemon curd into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to cover the entire top. Chill for 1 hour or until the cake has cooked and cooled.
Prepare the meringue: Using a hand mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a clean metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is warm and the sugar has fully dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
8 egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar
Place the meringue mixture in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until light and fluffy, usually about 2 additional minutes.
Assemble the cake: Slice the baked and cooled cake into 3 horizontal layers. Trim the sides and top to make 3 even layers.
Place the bottom of the cake on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with a layer of the lemon curd. Repeat with the second layer of cake and curd. Top finally with the top layer of cake.
Using a rubber spatula or offset spatula, cover the entire outside of the cake in meringue. Make peaks or swirls as you go to make it extra pretty.
Broil in the oven or use a small hand held kitchen torch to brown the meringue until golden brown. In the oven this would be just about 1 minute, watching carefully. You can also broil just slightly and then further toast the peaks.
Slice and serve!

Video

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