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Lemon Meringue Delight Cake

March 24, 2013 - 106 Comments

Lemon Delight Cake via Sweetapolita

Have you ever noticed that the best thing to pair with lemon seems to be . . . lemon? Every time I make a lemon cake or cupcake, aside from my occasional frolic with lavender and lemon or blueberry and lemon, all I want to do is add more lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, lemon filling, lemon topping, lemon curd, lemon frosting and lemon buttercream. Lemon!

Lemon Delight Cake via Sweetapolita

During some of my recent baking in preparation for my sister-in-law’s baby shower, I did some lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd and topped with lemon frosting, and I realized that I haven’t made a completely lemony layer cake in a long time. It was definitely time. And wait! Before you scroll down and read the recipe, just know that there are a few components in this cake that do take some time, but don’t let that scare you away — most of this cake can be made up to a few weeks ahead of time, so the actual assembly of the cake really is pretty quick and simple.

So what is a Lemon Meringue Delight Cake? It’s three layers of moist, lemony sponge cake filled with homemade lemon curd, lemon curd Swiss meringue buttercream and baked meringue discs, and frosted in more lemon curd Swiss meringue buttercream, topped with more lemon curd, swirls of buttercream, baked meringue swirls and lemon drop candy. In other words, a lotta lemony loveliness.

Lemon Delight Cake via Sweetapolita

A lemon party of sorts.

Lemon Meringue Milkshake via Sweetapolita

Remember these Lemon Meringue Milkshake & Mini Swirl Meringues? I make those little swirl meringues often, and I thought they’d make perfect little lemon cake decorations, so I just made them a bit bigger and a tad more swirly for this cake. In this particular recipe I did the meringues with a Swiss meringue method (heating the sugar and egg whites over a pot of simmering water until they reach 140-160°F and then whipping them in the mixer), but you can also do them with a traditional French meringue method (whisking the room temperature/warm egg whites in the mixer until they become foamy, then adding the sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form). I found, though, that the Swiss version seems to bake very glossy and the French meringue bakes a little more matte. The ones I used on the cake ended up being the French version, but I made some last night using the Swiss method and they were so nice and glossy. (They seem to taste the same either way.)

Baked meringues have my heart because, aside from their addictive sweet, light and crispy-ness, you can make a big batch and keep them airtight for weeks, making them ideal for topping cakes or cupcakes. And, of course, for random snacking. I thought it would be fun to make a few larger discs and put them right on top of the lemon curd filling in the cake, so when you’re taking lemony cake bites you hit little bursts of lemon meringue surprises along the way.

Lemon Delight Cake via Sweetapolita

Lemon Delight Cake via Sweetapolita

Lemon Meringue Delight Cake via Sweetapolita

Lemon = Happy.

Again, I know the recipe looks a little daunting because of all of the components, but if you do a bit ahead of time, it really is a joy to make. Keep remaining lemon curd in an airtight container in the freezer for a zippy addition to pancakes, muffins, scones and more  — you’ll thank me! ♥

Print
Lemon Meringue Delight Cake
Three layers of moist lemon sponge cake filled with lemon curd and crisp baked meringue cookies and topped with lemon curd buttercream, more lemon curd and baked meringue swirls.
Ingredients
For the Baked Meringue Swirls/Discs:
  • 3 egg whites 90 g
  • 3/4 cup 150 g sugar
  • A drop soft gel paste color yellow
  • You will also need:
  • A large pastry bag
  • Decorating tip #1A
  • A small paintbrush
For the Lemon Curd:
  • 4 lemons or 6 Meyer lemons, preferably organic
  • 2 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks set whites aside for buttercream
  • 1 cup sugar 200 g
  • 4 tablespoons 60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small even cubes
For the Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  • 7 egg whites 210 g
  • 1-1/2 cups 300 g sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups 454 g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup 60 ml lemon curd
  • 1 teaspoon 5 ml pure vanilla extract
  • Few drops of soft gel paste colour yellow (I used electric yellow)
For the Lemon Cake:
  • 3/4 cup 170 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups 400 g sugar
  • 6 eggs separated
  • 2 cups 270 g all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon 4 g baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon 4 g salt
  • 2 tablespoons 30 ml lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons 10 ml pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon 2.75 ml lemon extract
  • 2 tablespoons 30 ml lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup 180 ml plain yogurt, at room temperature
  • baked meringue swirls for decorating
  • lemon drop candy for decorating
Instructions
For the Baked Meringue Swirls/Discs:
  1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer and the whisk attachment with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease.
  2. Add egg whites and sugar to the mixer bowl and fit onto the top of a medium saucepan filled with about 1-inch of simmering (not boiling) water. (Be sure the bottom of your bowl is not touching the water.) Whisk constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 140°F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
  3. Dry the underside of the mixer bowl and transfer to your stand mixer. Whip using the whisk attachment until the meringue is thick and glossy and has reached the stiff peak stage.
  4. While the meringue is whipping in the mixer, fit your decorating bag with a plain round pastry tip. Fold over a cuff at the top of the pastry bag and paint 3, equally-spaced, thin lines of yellow gel colour using your fine paint brush (you can use any paint brush, but it should only be one you designate for food) from the pastry tip up toward the cuff.
  5. Fill the bag with your meringue (no more than 2/3 full) and pipe 1-1/2-inch swirls onto one of the lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. (These will be used to decorate top of cake). On the second baking sheet, pipe the remaining meringue into flat discs, about 2-inches in diameter, spacing them about 1" apart. (These will be used on top of the filling inside the assembled cake.)
  6. Bake for 60 minutes, rotating the trays after 30 minutes. Lower the oven to 175°F and bake until dry, about 40 minutes more. Keep in an airtight container until needed.
For the Lemon Curd:
  1. Wash lemons really well (with a bristled brush under cold water) and using a zester, remove all of the coloured portion of the peel from the fruit (not the white pith–it’s bitter!) into a bowl or onto a piece of wax paper. Rotate fruit as necessary to get as much of the zest off. Repeat until you have 2 teaspoons (30 ml) of the zest, and set aside.
  2. Slice the lemons in half crosswise (I find room temperature citrus is best for juicing) using a sharp knife, and extract as much of the juice as you can using a citrus reamer, or I use a small, manual citrus juicer. (Just be sure to catch all of the juice in a bowl and to completely strain the seeds before using.) Repeat the juicing until you have 2/3 cup (160 ml) of the strained juice.
  3. Get your double boiler ready by filling a saucepan with 1″ of water, then placing a metal bowl on top of the saucepan. You will need to ensure the bowl fits snugly into the top of the saucepan and that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water (important, or your eggs will cook). You can now remove the bowl and continue with making the curd.
  4. Whisk the juice, whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl until smooth. Add the butter cubes to the bowl, but don’t stir.
  5. Heat the water in the saucepan over low heat until it simmers (not boils) and place the bowl atop the rim. Stirring gently, but constantly, using heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, cook until the curd has thickened and all of the butter has melted and is incorporated, about 10 minutes (this can vary). To test if the curd is thick enough, remove the spatula or spoon from the curd and check that it’s coated.
  6. Strain the curd over a bowl using a fine-mesh sieve and then stir in the zest. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the curd (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for at least 3 hours (I like to chill it overnight). It also thickens up a bit more while chilling. Keep refrigerated.
For the Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  1. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites, sugar and salt, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
  2. With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.
  3. Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and whip until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add lemon curd and vanilla, continuing to beat on medium speed until well combined. Add yellow soft gel paste colour until desired shade of yellow is achieved.
For the Lemon Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment and flour three round 8-inch pans. I use Parchment Paper Circles for ease. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar on medium high speed until very pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  2. Lower mixer speed to medium low and add the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add dry ingredients. Add yogurt, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.
  3. In another grease-free bowl, (or if you're lucky enough to have another mixer bowl) whip egg whites and remaining cup of sugar until they reach stiff peak stage. Fold meringue into batter until just combined, and divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Use a digital kitchen scale to weigh pans to ensure even layers, if possible (425 g of batter for each layer).
  4. Bake first two layers 2" apart in center of oven on top of a baking sheet until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center, about 25 minutes. Be careful to not over-bake -- check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Repeat with final cake layer. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
  5. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best enjoyed day 1 or 2.
Assembly of the Lemon Delight Layer Cake:
  1. Trim any doming or top crust and side crust from cake layers using a very sharp serrated knife (I use the Mac Bread Knife for all of my cake trimming, splitting, etc.).
  2. Use a cake turntable for filling, frosting and decorating, if a possible. Place a small dollop of frosting in the center of a cake plate or 8″ round thin foil-covered cake board, and place the bottom cake layer on top, trimmed side up (face up).
  3. Pipe a dam (a rim around the top perimeter of the cake layer) of lemon curd buttercream around the cake layer using a large round Pastry Tip fitted inside a Decorating Bag. Then pipe another smaller circle of buttercream a few inches toward the center. Spoon lemon curd into the open spaces and spread evenly with a small offset palette knife, taking care to keep the curd within the dam (otherwise it will ooze out of the sides of the cake). Gently place cover the filling with a layer of the flat baked meringue discs, breaking them into smaller pieces if necessary to cover most of the layer.
  4. Repeat with second cake layer and more buttercream, lemon curd and meringue discs. Place final cake layer, trimmed side down. Look straight down from above cake and be sure the layers are all lined up, shifting gently if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Remove from fridge and put a generous scoop of buttercream on top, spreading evenly with a small offset palette knife and working your way down the sides until you have a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake (crumb-coat). Chill until set, another 30 minutes.
  6. Remove from refrigerator and covering the cake in another layer of buttercream, but this time using a thicker layer of buttercream and creating a smooth finish.
  7. For the top of the cake, using your decorating bag fitted with the large round tip , 2/3 full with buttercream, pipe 8 small swirls, evenly spaced. Top each swirl with a baked meringue swirls, and fill the spaces in between with lemon drop candy. Gently spoon a layer of lemon curd on top of the cake, using a toothpick to pull the curd to the inside edges of the candy and swirls.
  8. Store finished cake covered in refrigerator (due to the lemon curd filling), but serve at room temperature (you can remove from refrigerator several hours ahead of serving).
Sweetapolita's Notes

*You can make the baked meringues up to a few weeks in advance, keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature.

**You can make the lemon curd up to a month ahead, keeping it in an airtight container in freezer.

***You can make the Swiss meringue buttercream up to a month ahead, storing it in an airtight container in freezer, bringing to room temperature on counter the night before needed.

Sweetapolita’s Notes:

  • Because Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Lemon Curd both take a little longer to make than some other fillings/frosting, I recommend making both ahead of time, if possible. They freeze well, and the buttercream can be simply brought to room temperature the night before you need it. The curd can basically be used straight from the freezer. If you go ahead and make all of the components in one day, there’s a good chance you will be cursing my name at random throughout the day. But even if you do go this route, it will still be worth it.
  • You can make the baked meringues up to two weeks before you need the cake, just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • You can bake the cake layers the day before you need to assemble the cake and keep them at room temperature wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
  • I use my the MAC Carving Knife for all of my cake trimming and slicing — it’s amazing.
  • For the Swirl Meringues and the Lemon Swiss Buttercream I used Americolor Electric Yellow Soft Gel Paste to achieve that particular shade of happy.
  • For the lemon drop decorations I used Claeys Lemon Sanded Candy Drops.
  • You can watch me frost a cake with smooth edges here.

Good luck & enjoy!

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Filed Under: Fruity & Spiced Layer Cakes, Layer Cakes Tagged With: buttercream, delight, layer cake, lemon, lemon cake, lemon curd, meringue, summer, sweetapolita, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, yellow

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Comments

  1. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

    March 24, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Lemon does equal happiness… and you know what else does? This post. Everything is so vibrant. Your daughter’s dress… adorable. I love everything about this.

    Reply
  2. Sara says

    March 24, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    Wow, that cake looks so good!! I wish I could eat a piece right now. I have been craving lemon lately…maybe this would cure the craving.

    Reply
  3. Irene @ {a swoonful of sugar} says

    March 24, 2013 at 5:20 pm

    Perfectly frosted cake and so much lemony goodness in one cake, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it!!

    Reply
  4. Jo-Ann with Fine Frostings says

    March 24, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    Fantasic timing Rosie for Easter! Love, love lemon and it is a wonderful way to celebrate spring. Thank you for including the different versions of how to make the meringues – I will definitely be trying the Swiss Method. Beautiful photos as always! Happy Easter!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      March 25, 2013 at 11:20 am

      Thanks so much, Jo-Ann! Happy Easter to you as well!

      Reply
  5. shelly (cookies and cups) says

    March 24, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    I am fairly certain this cake couldn’t be any more perfect!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      March 25, 2013 at 11:20 am

      Thank you, Shelly!

      Reply
  6. Paula says

    March 24, 2013 at 6:33 pm

    This is a phenomenal cake. Your swirled meringue on the top is the finishing Pièce de résistance :)

    Reply
  7. Eva says

    March 24, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    Amazing! sure is delicious. Kisses.

    Reply
  8. Natalie says

    March 24, 2013 at 6:56 pm

    This cake looks fantastic! Much as I love chocolate, I’m a massive sucker for lemon. And I happen to love cakes with a lot of components, they make me feel vaguely competent at something when it all comes together! Very tempting to make this our Easter dessert. Thanks so much for the recipe :) Happy Easter! x

    Reply
  9. Grace @ Sweetlandia says

    March 24, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    Oh…MY! WOW! That cake is GEE-OR-JOUS! And it looks soooo yummy! Hope I csn make it when I get the right materials!

    Reply
  10. Kathryn says

    March 24, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to have too much lemon in a cake as this so perfectly illustrates!

    Reply
  11. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    March 24, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    This looks so, so, lovely!! You rock my world!

    Reply
  12. Rachel says

    March 24, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    This looks absolutely delicious and it would be a nice zesty change to the usual “heavy sweetness” of most cakes ;) Your cake-making creativity shines on this one!

    Reply
  13. Gemma @andgeesaid says

    March 24, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    YUMMMM this looks amazing! So deliciously yellow, it makes me so happy! xxxx
    http://andgeesaid.blogspot.com.au/

    Reply
  14. Loretta says

    March 24, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Truly amazing for spring! I’m in love with these bright and crisp shots. The more lemon, the better!

    Reply
  15. Molly @Bakelette says

    March 24, 2013 at 9:55 pm

    Rosie you have done it again! Your set up is stunning! I have always been enamored by lemon curd since I first heard of it on your blog! I have some in freezer waiting to be turned into something delicious! Also I found an awesome and super easy way to make lemon curd in the microwave! The recipe is on my blog if you want to check it out! Again, what a gorgeous lemon confection!
    xoxo M

    Reply
  16. Naomi A says

    March 25, 2013 at 3:05 am

    How about lemon and lime?! Mmm I could see myself topping this cake with the cookies I just posted about. Perfect pairing~

    The Occasional Indulgence

    Reply
  17. Alba says

    March 25, 2013 at 5:19 am

    This cake is wonderful! Simply happiness!♥ I also love the bunch of pics of the cake, it makes me feel like it’s already summer! Lovely work, Rosie!
    Have a very nice week, filled with cake & sweetness!
    xo

    Reply
  18. Megan {Country Cleaver} says

    March 25, 2013 at 10:46 am

    We had a lemon cake at our wedding that melted my heart – and I have no doubt that this would blow my mind. There is no such thing as too much lemon. I’m all blissed out here.

    Reply
  19. Cookbook Queen says

    March 25, 2013 at 11:36 am

    This is absolute gorgeous perfection!!! Love love LOVE the meringue swirls on top. You are magical!!

    Reply
  20. Katie says

    March 25, 2013 at 11:38 am

    This looks fabulous! I was going to make your lemon blueberry cake for Easter but now you’ve confused me. I already have the curd waiting in the freezer (delicious by the way)! Of the two cakes, which do you prefer (I’d probably leave out the meringue discs)? What about the frostings? I love SMBC but have never tried a lemon version so it’s very tempting. Thanks for all your delicious recipes…I have tried and loved so many!

    Reply
    • KB says

      March 31, 2013 at 2:09 am

      I just made the triple Lemon Blueberry cake and the frosting was DELICIOUS. The little bit of cream and the lemon juice made it fantastic.
      I love SMB but the frosting for the TLB cake was really divine.

      Reply
  21. Jennifer H says

    March 25, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    Gosh, this looks so very yummy!! I want to make, but I’m a little afraid of the meringues–I live in a hot humid place and they never seem to work for me…OY! Will attempt–have you any words of wisdom for someone ,making these in a veritable rain forest?

    Reply
  22. Heather S says

    March 25, 2013 at 3:34 pm

    Rosie—-be still my lemony heart! I am salivating at the thought of this divine cake. I think I shall declare it my faux birthday to have a reason to make it and not share! I was just telling my co-workers about how excited I was to use the Meyer lemons I found at the store, but then I saw this. Oh joy! Thank you@

    Reply
  23. idiosyncratic eye says

    March 25, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    Looks absolutely yummy, I love lemon. :)

    Reply
  24. Jen B says

    March 25, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    Wow – so beautiful! Your photos are gorgeous.

    Reply
  25. Tesei says

    March 25, 2013 at 5:34 pm

    Amazing, lovely, as is all your work! Thank you and Happy Easter!

    Reply
  26. Roshini says

    March 25, 2013 at 5:41 pm

    Your cakelet is too cute as the lemony delight ;) You are a genius!

    Reply
  27. My Inner Chick says

    March 25, 2013 at 6:02 pm

    —Omygoodness,
    what a lemony feast for the eyes. Absolutley LUSH!

    Reply
  28. Catwoman62 says

    March 25, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    Rosie, you have outdone yourself again!!!! I absolutely love your posts – they are always so colourful, vibrant, enticing, and *delicious*! I am gonna have to make this beautiful, eye-popping cake – I luurrrvve lemon! Gorgeous!
    =’.’=

    Reply
  29. Radhika says

    March 25, 2013 at 11:48 pm

    Love lemons and lemon curd and lemony cake! Beautiful and sunshiny!

    Reply
  30. Minxie says

    March 25, 2013 at 11:51 pm

    About how many discs total should you pipe, so there are enough for each layer and the top? How many should you plan on for each layer? And, under cake assembly, you say for the final or third layer to repeat step 4. What does that mean exactly? Just frost the cake after the crumb coat firms up? Thanks for clarifying.

    Reply
  31. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    March 26, 2013 at 2:14 am

    What a great sunshiney treat! Pucker up deliciousness!

    Reply
  32. Jack says

    March 26, 2013 at 4:47 am

    Looks yum!

    Reply
  33. Cupcakes para el Camino says

    March 26, 2013 at 4:53 am

    Es espectacular, unas fotos preciosas. Cada vez que veo un post tuyo me quedo con la boca abierta. Te admiro mucho.
    Un Beso.
    Mercè.

    Reply
  34. Juniper Cakery says

    March 26, 2013 at 6:31 am

    This looks so refreshing and zesty! Lemon is such a great flavour with cakes. Kind regards, Juniper Cakery

    Reply
  35. Karla says

    March 26, 2013 at 8:09 am

    This looks and sounds amazing! Love-love-love lemon! It’s so bright and cheerful. Perfect for spring! Thank you.

    Reply
  36. lyndsay says

    March 26, 2013 at 5:34 pm

    killing me with lemony cuteness!!! and what a genius little idea, those perfect meringue swirly puffs as decoratives – sooo cute!!

    gorgeous styling and photos as always, too, rosie!

    xo

    Reply
  37. Jackie {La Casa de Sweets} says

    March 26, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    As soon as I saw your photo of this cake on insta, I just knew it had to be filled with lemon curd! Love this one, Rosie!!

    Reply
  38. Laura Dembowski says

    March 26, 2013 at 10:17 pm

    That cake is pure lemon goodness! It looks so happy and sunshine-y! I love all of the components and together they must be bliss.

    Reply
  39. Zainab says

    March 26, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    This cake is just gorgeous! Love love lemons and can’t wait to use my Meyer lemons now. Thank you!!

    Reply
  40. erin says

    March 27, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    love lemon! Perfect for Easter! Just a quick question: i dont have a large mixer will the swiss butter cream frosting turn out if i use an electric hand mixer with only beater attachments?

    Reply
  41. Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says

    March 27, 2013 at 3:20 pm

    So bright and cheery. Makes me smile!

    Reply
  42. Jenn @ Once Upon a Tier says

    March 29, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Yum! Lemon is one of my favorites, especially lemon curd! This cake sounds amazing.

    Reply
  43. tya nelson says

    March 30, 2013 at 3:25 am

    I have tried sooooo many times to pipe meringues this way with a 3 way stripe on the side, but everytime I add my buttercream to the piping bag after I paint on the stripes- no matter how careful I am, the lines smudge. What is a trick to getting them to stay so straight??

    Reply
  44. diane stanley says

    March 31, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    A quick question…my meringues turned out chewy instead of crisp…any idea what I did wrong?

    Reply
  45. Emelie says

    March 31, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    The cake looks amazing, with the meringues and the yellow color! Wow! But, to something else: do you have any idea what the name of the font you have in you’re blog is called? I would like to have it on mine, though.

    Reply
  46. Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says

    April 1, 2013 at 5:57 am

    What an incredibly beautiful cake and it sounds divine!

    Reply
  47. Kelly @ Life made Sweeter says

    April 1, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    What a gorgeous and divine looking cake as always Rosie! Absolutely love lemons too!

    Reply
  48. Lora @cakeduchess says

    April 1, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Oh, Rosie, This cake = happy. All you do = happy. Your lemon meringue cake puts a smile on my face. Gorgeous, as always. xo

    Reply
  49. Judy @ Season of Sweets says

    April 2, 2013 at 1:38 am

    Lemon heaven!!! If I have a bad day, I’m coming back to this post—it makes me so happy! Thank you!

    Reply
  50. Karis Lau says

    April 2, 2013 at 11:26 am

    Love all your posts~and everything looks so heavenly GOOD :)

    Reply
  51. Megan says

    April 4, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    I’m dying to make this for a baby shower but the mom to be can’t eat dairy. The butter is ok, but what can I sub for the yogurt? Would a soy or coconut milk yogurt work?

    Reply
  52. Elysia says

    April 7, 2013 at 7:51 am

    Gorgeous cake! I made this for a baby shower yesterday and it had rave reviews, great recipe thanks!

    Reply
  53. Melissa says

    April 7, 2013 at 10:43 am

    I made this cake this weekend for my lemon living girlfriend ‘s birthday and it was fabulous. I only eliminated the merengue dics in the middle because I have a tiny European oven and had to choose between that and the swirls. Time was of essence. Gorgeous and tasty!

    Reply
    • Lolli says

      May 3, 2013 at 9:35 am

      Hi I was just wondering if your meringue swirls stayed crisp? Mines became very soft & squiddgy….
      Thanks L x

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        May 3, 2013 at 10:56 pm

        Thy did not. The extras stayed crisp in a ziplock bag, but the ones on the cake lost their crispness after a couple hours.

        Reply
        • Lolli says

          May 4, 2013 at 4:45 am

          thanks so much for replying – that’s great at least I didn’t do something wrong :)

          Reply
  54. Heather says

    April 8, 2013 at 8:33 am

    I want to thank you for this amazing recipe. I made this cake this last weekend for my husbands 40th birthday party and everybody just raved. The directions were so easy to follow and I did one component each evening and then just assembled in a day. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

    Reply
  55. Jacquee @ I Sugar Coat It! says

    April 8, 2013 at 10:34 am

    LOVE all things lemon! This is one mouth-watering post, thanks to your awesome photography.

    Reply
  56. Jean | Lemons & Anchovies says

    April 9, 2013 at 10:55 am

    I adore this cake. You are absolutely right: lemon = happy. Can’t wait to make this for a special occasion. :)

    Reply
  57. Patt Talvanna says

    April 15, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    I tried this recipie over the weekend and it is a big hit! (among the other big hits created because of you). Though I’m curious what happens to the merigunes in the layers, are they meant to soak up the lemon curd or are they going to hold their fine crispness? Just wondering how they were supposed to be placed into the layers and wondering if that makes a difference?

    Reply
  58. Lorraine says

    April 24, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    I made the frosting for my son’s communion and everyone just loved it. I made a vanilla cake and filled and frosted it with the lemon SMBC. I put a very thin layer of lemon curd on each cake and put some SMBC on top of it..
    I will def be making this again!

    Reply
  59. Kelly @ IdealistMom.com says

    April 25, 2013 at 8:06 am

    Mmm…you are speaking my language! I just *love* lemony desserts. I pinned this and will try it as soon as possible!

    Reply
  60. Angela says

    April 27, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    I made this for Easter and it was a huge hit. It was the first desert finished on the table and so pretty and yellow. The Lemon Swiss Meringue buttercream was phenomenal. I love lemon curd and this was the perfect combination.

    Reply
  61. Charlie - Baking At Home says

    April 29, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    These are perfect for this beautiful spring weather we’ve been getting. You can’t go wrong with lemon.

    Reply
  62. Lolli says

    May 3, 2013 at 7:45 am

    Hi – I made this lovely cake last weekend & I was just wondering if I maybe did something wrong because my meringue didn’t stay crispy once it was on & in the cake….

    Ps I love your blog :)

    Reply
  63. sissy lazaropoulou says

    May 20, 2013 at 5:23 am

    I made this cake yesτerday and I can’t rave enough about it. The texture is amazing. It has a light, fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth quality and the flavor is so rich.I have a question though. The cake shrank a bit once I took it out of the oven, it sort of slid off the cake tin and the height was affected too.Could it be because I baked two cakes simulteneously and the one was considerably taller than the other – I used a collar on this one- and so opened the oven early for the tall one? Is this supposed to happen?
    Congrats again for the inspiring work

    Reply
  64. Adrienne says

    May 25, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    This cake was phenomenal. I am now a whiz at the meringue technique. (quite a bit of practice in this recipe) Also, I took each suggestion you made in regards to constructing the cake. It really helped. No cutting corners or rushing anymore! My boyfriend probably though I was a loon when I kept raving about how beautiful it turned out. Hopefully, one day my cakes will look beautiful like yours! The lemon flavor is my new favorite. (I did make the lemon blueberry for my birthday last year though.) I had the separation factor with the butter cream, but will try the expensive butter next time. (figured it was the lemon causing issues with other ingredients) Thank you again for inspiring me :)

    Reply
  65. Marcela Gómez says

    May 31, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    Hi I’m really fan of your cakes I made a fluffy vanilla cake is the best recipe ever, I have a quick question about this cake, if I need a 10 ” cake I have just do double the recipe? Thank you

    Reply
  66. malou says

    June 1, 2013 at 11:03 am

    Hi, Rosie…im a big fan of yours! Now I’ve fallen in love with SMBC too. It’s almost summertime…im making a cake this Saturday for an outdoor party. Im scared that the buttercream will melt on a high 80s temperature. Any inputs on this? thanks.

    Reply
  67. lenaliotaki says

    June 4, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    Hi Rosie! This seems to be the perfect lemon cake, I will try it this weekend. I was just wondering, what will happen if i bake the whole cake at one pan and not three? (i’m just asking because i don’t have 3!) thanks for sharing, your blog is amazing! (i really love all your recipes and photos!)

    Reply
  68. Linda had a little Lamb says

    July 21, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    This looks so yummy and what gorgeous photos of a pretty cake.

    Reply
  69. Steven e says

    August 6, 2013 at 3:45 pm

    Wow, amazing presentation! The cake looks great too.

    Reply
  70. Sarah says

    August 7, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    This looks wonderful! Any advice for doing this as a layered rectangular/sheet cake? I have to make a cake for 30 people! Thanks!!

    Reply
  71. Julia says

    August 17, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    Rosie! I’m in AWE of your many talents and I’ve learned so much from you. I’m attempting to make this cake and well, I’m struggling a bit with the meringue disks and swirls. I have made them twice now, but both times my spirals spread too much and wouldn’t hold a tight spiral. I even tried adding a little cream of tarter with the hopes that it would help to stabilize the batter. No luck. I was still able to pipe them but they were no where near as pretty as yours. I’m just curious what I’m doing wrong. I make your buttercream all the time and I wonder if the meringue that is produced for that recipe would work better since it’s more stable? Any thoughts?

    Thank you again for all your helpful recipes and gorgeous photography. I appreciate all your guidance.

    Reply
  72. Donna says

    August 27, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    Hi there! I’m in a bit of a pinch and would really appreciate your opinion on something!

    I will be making cupcakes in a few weeks for a wedding shower, and then later on November for the wedding day. Do you think the quality of a lemon cake recipe like this one would be compromised if frozen? I will not have a lot of time right before each event, so if I could freeze the cupcakes without completely destroying the texture that would be great!

    Let me know what you think :)

    -Donna

    Reply
  73. Vanessa says

    August 29, 2013 at 5:54 am

    Hi Rosie, I’ve been following your blog and really lurrrrve the pictures of your beautiful cakes. I’ve recently even tried one of your recipes, the lemon cake and I am just ssssooo addicted to it. The difference is I made them into cupcakes, not regular cakes. My family adored it! =)

    I just have a problem with the lemon swiss meringue buttercream. I really have no idea why my buttercream will “break” as I pipe. After all the whisking and stuff done in the mixing bowl, I had a bowl of BEAUTIFUL smooth glossy buttercream to die for. But disaster struck when I start piping!

    The first few swirls I did turned out great! Very smooth clear lines but as I continue piping, I realised that the buttercream starts to turn “watery” and the swirls are not as pretty as they should be anymore! Why is this happening? Is it because of the addition of lemon curd which contains some lemon juice, thereby causing the splitting of the fat and water content? Can you please help? This is causing me a lot of distress, as I’m trying to really perfect my icing.

    Reply
    • Julia says

      September 12, 2013 at 2:56 pm

      Hi Vanessa, I wonder if this is happening because your buttercream/curd mixture is just on the cusp of breaking and could use a bit more mixing before you start to pipe it. You can’t really over mix it so be sure you’re being thorough and also make sure your curd is really cold too. It’s possible that the heat from your hands and the friction of piping it could be just enough heat to cause it to break. Make sure that after you combine your buttercream and lemon curd that you get your buttercream cold again by returning it to your refrigerator for several minutes. Just an idea. I hope it helps.

      Reply
    • ThymeToBake.com says

      August 30, 2014 at 8:20 pm

      Perhaps the egg whites need to be beaten a bit more? This is usually the cause of runny mixtures whenever egg whites are incorporated; I tried beating the egg whites until stiff peaks began to form, and increased the speed of my mixer by about two levels when beating the butter in, and I did not encounter any problems when piping. I do not think that the addition of the lemon curd with its lemon juice is causing this problem.

      Reply
  74. Sandie@afoodieaffair.com says

    October 3, 2013 at 10:07 pm

    Since lemon is my most favorite thing in the world, all I can say is, YES! This looks incredible!

    Reply
  75. DT says

    January 12, 2014 at 10:19 am

    Thanks for sharing this detailed recipe. I made this cake without the meringue, but still delicious and earned me much praise! Love it that the sponge cake is not some airy tasteless cake but just slightly dense, with a strong lemon taste and moist enough.

    For those who prefer to have the cake less sweet, you may wish to know that I reduced the sugar in the cake to 300g and it still turned out fine. I also reduced the sugar and butter in the smbc with no problems. The smbc turned out so smooth and silky, even when it was my first time making it (it went through the soupy and curdling stage)!

    My only regret was in heating the curd in an aluminium bowl, this gave it a metallic taste. I’ve come to learn that lemon curd should be heated in a stainless steel bowl.

    Reply
  76. Lola Carrera says

    February 26, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Hola!! Perdona antes mi facebook me traducía tus recetas,pero desde k lo actualize dejó de traducir y me encantan tus recetas pero mi inglés es demasiado básico,lo podrías por favor poner en español?? Gracias

    Reply
  77. Sunanda says

    May 25, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    I made this cake for a family brunch today and everyone loved it, thanks a lot :)

    The lemon frosting is to die for!

    Reply
  78. cupcakekiller702 says

    June 9, 2014 at 11:58 am

    Only on this site would it ever be possible to pucker up, and drool at the same time. Lemon love. LOL

    Reply
  79. nerissa. says

    June 9, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    do u have actual video

    Reply
  80. Susan says

    June 19, 2014 at 1:32 am

    OMG!!! I made this for a friends birthday. Devine. So moist and lemony. The cake tasted better two days later and was still moist. Did not include the meringue discs and it was the first time making SMBC. Can’t wait to make again.

    Reply
  81. Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says

    August 11, 2014 at 10:58 am

    This is incredibly stunning!!!

    Reply
  82. Laureen says

    August 24, 2014 at 11:47 am

    Not only does this cake look gorgeous, it looks sensationally delicious!

    Reply
  83. Katarina says

    September 11, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    I don’t think that I whipped my meringues enough! They had peaks, but I guess they weren’t stiff enough… When I piped them onto the sheet they weren’t all perky like yours :(

    Reply
  84. Ramona says

    February 10, 2015 at 2:07 pm

    Can I use gluten-free flour?

    Reply
  85. Lynn Rosik says

    March 8, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    I made this for my daughter “Bay-bee” shower yesterday. They don’t know what they are having so we used BEE theme. I made this into cupcakes. I will NEVER use another lemon recipe. This was such a huge hit. It was time consuming and I was so mad that I waited until Friday night to make it all, but it was so worth it. I did the whole sweet bar and I am so glad that I hid a few of the cupcakes for me to eat later. Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply
  86. Rinnie says

    March 18, 2015 at 11:57 am

    mmm love it!

    Reply
  87. Abby J says

    March 23, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    Made this cake as a possible trial for my friends wedding (will be doing her cake).. it was awesome! Great recipe. So lemony and worth all the work.

    I used a cream cheese buttercream curd icing which was delish, only because I didn’t feel like whipping more meringue. However, I’d make this again in a heartbeat – that cake is fab.

    Reply
  88. Angelie Nwobi says

    May 22, 2015 at 8:10 am

    Made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It was quite a challenge but made parts of it over a few days which helped. It tasted absolutely lovely, it was light and lemony – everyone loved it and my husband doesn’t want it to ever finish. Cake didn’t look as beautiful as on the photo but it was my first attempt at making a nice looking cake ;)

    Reply
  89. Elizabeth Hauswirth says

    June 22, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    Love lemon and there is no better way to eat lemon curd than from scratch. It is so worth the effort. This cake looks like a dream and I’m going to have to try it! thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  90. +jazmin says

    July 16, 2015 at 11:59 pm

    this looks amazing! cant wait to try it. Just a question, can I also make the cake ahead and freeze it or will it compromise the taste and texture?

    Reply
  91. Binia says

    November 9, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Hi!

    Just a wee comment from me for any other bakers who are curious if this can be easily converted to gluten-free; the answer is YES. I simply used a gluten-free plain flour blend (Dove’s Farm), and for every 1 cup of flour in the recipe, I substituted for 140g of GF-flour. I also added 1/4 tsp of xantham gum. It resulted in THE lightest, super-fluffy cake WITHOUT the typically “gummy” texture associated with gluten-free cakes.

    I did also add a lemon glaze drizzle over the cake when it was still warm in the tin – caster sugar & lemon juice – but that’s because I’m a bonafide Lemon Addict (with a capital A).

    Thank you for such a gorgeous lemony recipe, and for having such clear step-by-step instructions. Your blog is in my top-three baking blogs I’ve bookmarked; your baking books are on my Christmas list this year.

    Reply
  92. Marianne Page says

    April 26, 2016 at 5:15 am

    Hi,

    I want to try this recipe but instead of swiss meringue buttercream, I want to try frosting the cake with meringue and blow torching it. Once I frost the cake and blow torch it, can it be left overnight?

    Reply
  93. Renee says

    June 26, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    I made the lemon curd and frosting. The lemon curd is to die for. So extremely awesome. The frosting was great. It was my first time with swiss meringue. The curd and frosting are both time consuming. I made the lemon curd a week in advance and the frosting the day before. Next time I will try the cake as well.

    Reply
  94. Julia says

    July 22, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    Can i omit all lemon stuffs from the cake batter…wanna make the cake without lemon with lemon curd filling n simole swiss meringue buttercream..will it work?

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Rosie! Welcome to the new (and even sweeter) version of the Sweetapolita blog! You will now find frequent new recipes + so, so much more: lifestyle posts themed around my life as a baker, mom-preneur, sprinkle-tosser, lover of travel, photography, fashion and all things happy!
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