Kates' Lemon Meringue Cake

View fullsize

Kates' Lemon Meringue Cake / Kate Martens (p)

“Student Kate Cousins’ lemon-curd-drenched-vanilla-bean cake topped with an Italian-meringue creation is one of a kind. It’s what decadent dreams are made of. We all got through the rest of the afternoon on a complete sugar high! Who says lunch needs to be savoury?”

— Jackie Cameron

Kates' Lemon Meringue Cake

Serves 6-8 slices

Cake Ingredients:

• 4 Egg Yolks
• 250gr Castor Sugar
• 280gr Cake Flour
• 15ml Baking Powder
• 250ml Full Cream Milk
• 100gr Salted Butter
• 5ml Vanilla Extract
• 1 Lemon - zest

Method:

1. Grease and line an 18cm spring form cake tin.
2. Pre–Heat oven to 180°C.
3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together, until light and creamy.
4. Add the flour and baking powder.
5. Heat the milk and butter together, do not boil. Fold into the flour mixture with the vanilla extract and lemon.
6. Place the batter into the cake tin, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked.
7. When cooked remove from the cake tin and allow to cool completely.

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

• 150gr Castor Sugar
• 4whole Eggs
• 4 Lemon - juiced and zest
• 120gr Salted Butter, cold and cut in blocks

Method:

1. Whisk the sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest together, over a double boiler, until it gets thick.
2. Whisking the whole time add the butter slowly, a few blocks at a time. Keep whisking until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Allow the curd to cool, on an ice bath.

Italian Meringue Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup White Sugar
• 1/4 cup Water
• Pinch Fine ORYX Salt
• 3 Egg Whites
• 30ml White Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

Method:

1. Place the 2/3 cup sugar, water and salt in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Using a thermometer heat to 115°C.
2. In a mixing machine bowl, place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar, start whisking when the sugar reaches 112°C to stiff peak.
3. When the sugar reaches 115°C, and the egg whites are at stiff peak, very slowly start adding the sugar syrup to the egg whites, pouring it in a thin stream on the side of the bowl, whisking continuously. Whisk until the outside of the bowl is cool, the mixture will have a smooth and glossy appearance.

Icing of cake:

1. Cut the cake into half to have two layers, place the lemon curd in the middle layer.
2. Ice the cake with the Italian meringue around, making swirl patterns as you ice. Do this effect with a palette knife or a teaspoon.
3. Just before serving blowtorch the cake all around.