Lemon Meringue
I am a huge fan of the Great British Bake Off. It is by far my favourite cooking contest show and I am always in awe of what the contestants create while wishing I can bake as well as they do. So in a sense this is my Showstopper post of the year as I wanted the last post of 2013 to be truly special and celebratory.
Lemon Meringue
Lemon Meringue
This cake will be fitting for any New Year’s Eve celebration or a New Year’s day lunch. I can’t think of a better way to see in 2014 than a big slice of meringue, pistachio, lemon curd, cream and white chocolate with a glass of bone dry bubbly.
But let me be frank. It is a lot of work. A whole lot more if you have a small oven and have to bake each meringue layer separately. But the end result of a towering meringue confection is so worth it.
Lemon Meringue
Serves at least 12 people.
I want to wish all my readers the happiest of holidays, how ever you may celebrate or not. I also have an array of festive recipes to inspire and help you plan for the season ahead – click here for all the recipes
Ingredients
- Notes:
- – Make sure all the equipment is clean and dry when making meringue.
- – First thing to do is drain the yoghurt – drain overnight by lining a wire mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Put the yoghurt into the lined strainer, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
- MERINGUE
- 12 egg whites
- 3.7ml (.75 teaspoon) cream of tartar
- 5ml (1 teaspoon) salt
- 750ml (3.17 US cups) castor sugar
- 90ml (6 tablespoons) corn starch
- 30ml (6 teaspoons) white vinegar
- LEMON CURD
- 40g (1.4110 oz) butter
- 130g (4.5856 oz) caster sugar
- 120ml (half a US cup) lemon juice
- 20ml (1 heaped tablespoon) grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- good pinch of salt
- WHITE CHOCOLATE SHARDS
- 1 slab white chocolate – 80g to 100g (2.8219 oz – 3.5274 oz)
- LEMON & PISTACHIO YOGHURT
- 500g (17.637 oz) plain low fat yoghurt – drained as noted at beginning of recipe
- 1/2 of the lemon curd
- 100g (3.5274 oz) pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
- WHIPPED CREAM
- 250ml (1 US cup plus a splash) whipping cream
Instructions
- MERINGUE
- If your oven is not big enough to bake all three at the same time, make a third of the recipe at a time and bake each third individually.
- Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (425 F). Place baking paper on 3 large baking trays and by using the bottom of a 22cm (8.5 – 9 inch) cake tin, draw 1 circle on each piece of paper.
- Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form. While the beater is still running add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all the sugar has been mixed in and the meringue is thick and glossy. Sift the corn starch over the mixture, add the vinegar and mix well until combined. Scoop each third onto a drawn circle and shape the meringue within the drawn lines, keeping the top of the meringue quite even.
- Place in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 150 degrees celcius (300 F) and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 120 degrees celcius (250 F) and bake for another 45 minutes. Switch the oven off and let the meringues cool inside the oven.
- While the meringues are baking make the curd and chocolate shards and store until required
- LEMON CURD
- Set a metal bowl over a large saucepan of boiling water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Place the sugar and zest in a food processor and blitz together until the sugar is a light yellow colour. Place the sugar mixture in the bowl with the butter, juice and salt and stir over the heat until the butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Slowly whisk in the eggs and continue whisking over the heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Spoon into a bowl, cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
- WHITE CHOCOLATE SHARDS
- Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a large saucepan of boiling water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Once melted, spread the chocolate evenly onto a piece of greaseproof paper. Cover with another piece of paper and gently press to release any bubbles. Roll the pieces of paper into a thin tube and place in the fridge for 2 hours to set. When you are ready to assemble the cake, unroll the tube and as you unroll the chocolate will break and you will have the shards to decorate with.
- LEMON & PISTACHIO YOGHURT
- Mix all the ingredients
- WHIPPED CREAM
- Whip the cream until stiff. I prefer not to sweeten the cream as everything else in the cake is sweet enough
- TO ASSEMBLE
- Place one meringue layer on a cake stand
- Spoon over the other half of the lemon curd and spread evenly over the meringue
- Place the 2nd meringue layer carefully on top
- Spoon over the lemon & pistachio yoghurt and spread evenly
- Place the 3rd meringue on top
- Spoon over the whipped cream and sprinkle with the chocolate shards
- The cake will hold its shape so you can make it before and serve after a meal as dessert but I would not let it stand for more than 3 hours at room temperature
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Noelle Brewer
Dec 29, 2014
Thank you for your quick reply,In the future I look forward to making your delicious recipes as long as they are in the US application for measurements. Again my thanks.
Alonna Smith
Apr 12, 2017
Hi Hein,
I am thining of making this cake in a couple of days. When you say that you wouldn’t leave stand at room temp for more than 3 hours, could l make in the morning, place in fridge until the end of the day? Or does it need to be eaten within 3 hours. Thanks so much!
heinstirred
Apr 12, 2017
Hello Alonna
I am worried that the meringue layers will start to “weep” if you keep it standing for too long and I think there is too much moisture in the fridge so the meringue will lose its crispness. I suggest you bake the layers (that you can do a few days before) and keep them in an airtight container and then make the fillings and store them in the fridge and then assemble it all before you want to serve it.
Enjoy!
Moya
Apr 2, 2021
I am going to make this recipe in the coming days and I have one question about the pistachios. Are they raw?
heinstirred
Apr 2, 2021
Hello Moya, I did use raw. But I am sure toasted pistachios will add more flavour so you could use if you have. Hope you enjoy it!
Moya
Apr 5, 2021
Hello Hein. The cake was delicious! I wound up toasting the pistachios because I wasted the extra flavour. Super good. Thank you!! Moya
heinstirred
Apr 5, 2021
So happy you enjoyed it Moya! Thank you for letting me know.
Moya
Apr 5, 2021
“Wanted” not “wasted”!
sloegoods
Apr 10, 2023
Made this today for Easter (found you thru Food52). It was a sugar bomb but totally delicious. We will make again, loading up on the pistachios. Your lemon curd and meringue recipes are particularly delicious! Thank you.
heinstirred
Apr 10, 2023
Thank you so much for the kind message and so happy to hear you enjoyed it.