Little Lemon Meringue Cakes

Cook Time 45 mins + refridgeration

Servings 8

Ingredients

Cake

1 ¼ cups plain flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups caster sugar
½ cup pouring cream
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon Curd

90g caster sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
rind of 1 lemon
? cup lemon juice
75g chilled butter
Swiss Meringue
3 eggs whites
¾ cup caster sugar
Pinch cream tartar

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C with fan. Grease and line a (25cm x 30cm) lamington pan with baking paper.

Sift flour and baking powder together; set aside.

Assemble mixer with the scraper paddle and add butter and sugar. Beat on creaming setting for 3-4 minutes or until pale and creamy.

Reduce speed and combine cream, eggs and vanilla.  Add half the liquid mixture, then half the flour mixture then repeat with the liquid and flour. Don’t over mix.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack lined with baking paper. Leave turned upside down.

Meanwhile to make the lemon curd: Beat the egg, egg yolk and strain into a heat proof bowl. Whisk through sugar, lemon rind and juice and butter.

Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water a small pan, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir the mixture over simmering water for about 15-20 minutes, or until curd has thickened.

Transfer to another bowl, cover with plastic wrap with a small side of the bowl uncovered to allow steam to escape and refrigerate until cold.

When ready to assemble make the Italian meringue. Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar into the scraper whisk bowl. Place bowl carefully into a saucepan of simmering water and gently whisk for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has warmed through. Assemble the scraper bowl with the scraper whisk and the splash guard onto the mixer. Whisk on the Areate/Whisk speed for about 2 minutes or until mixture has thickened but not too stiff.

To assemble, using a 5.5cm cutter cut 16 rounds from the cake. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of lemon curd onto half of the rounds. With the remaining rounds shape approximately 2 tablespoons or meringue onto each. Place meringue rounds on top of lemon curd.

Using a chefs blow torch, lightly colour outside of meringue.