Thursday 19 January 2012

Lemon & Coconut Meringue Cake



When it comes to baking I have always been a stickler for the rules.
Do exactly as the recipe says and it turns out like it should.
Deviate from the instructions and it's a recipe for disaster..... (oh, ow. That was a painful pun, sorry).

But I've been discovering more and more that, once I've tried a recipe, my mind soon wanders off into a fantasy world of what could be added, subtracted from the recipe to make it a bit more interesting for my taste-buds. And {unfortunately} my taste-buds are well-trained.
They are particular, meticulous, adventurous and well travelled.

I'd been thinking about this recipe for a while, in fact it was more just the thought of meringue icing....corr blimey! So I put this wee number together:

Lemon & Coconut Meringue Cake
Ingredients
320g Castor Sugar
3 eggs
grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
350g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt*
1 cup desiccated coconut
250ml whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g unsalted butter, melted
*if using salted butter omit 1 teaspoon salt
Some Lemon Curd/Lemon Honey for filling.


Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C (325F) Gas 3.
2. Beat the sugar, eggs and lemon zest until well mixed.
3. In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and stir through the coconut.
4. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in another bowl. Gradually add small portions of flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix well, then beat in a small portion of the milk mixture. Alternate between adding flour mixture and milk mixture, beating well after each addition, until everything has been added and the mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Pour in the melted butter and beat until well incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture into 2 prepared round sandwich tins and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, turning half way through the cooking process, or until cakes are a light golden brown and they bounce back when touched.
7. Cool the cakes slightly in their tins before turning them out onto a cooling rack.

Meringue Frosting
150g egg whites (from 4-5 eggs)
215g castor sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
50ml water

1. Put the egg whites, sugar and water in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
2. Beat slowly with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form (about 7 minutes).
3. Remove from the heat and beat in the vanilla extract. The frosting should be thick and glossy.

When the cakes are cold put the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread generously with lemon curd. Add the top layer and spread the meringue frosting thickly over the top and sides.

As a finishing touch I recommend toasting a couple of tablespoons of desiccated coconut under the grill until brown and sprinkle over the top of the cake.

:::

7 comments:

  1. this looks amazing. what a great take on the traditional lemon meringue pie. love lots. xo.

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  2. yum!! that cake looks so dam good!!!

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  3. See! Now you're thinking like DAD. 'Recipes are for breaking'. *sniff* (actually, that's my quote, but I'm sure Dad will agree with me).

    YUM. You know lemon meringue was my birthday dessert request. EVERY. YEAR. So, question - will there be any left for me some time this weekend? ..... ah, nuts (ma-ha-ha-ha-haaaa-NUTS) I clean forgot for a second there that I'm not allowed... ok, REQUEST - please may I have some lemon meringue cake in two weeks time? Thanking you.

    (I bet Luca's loving sneaking into the kitchen to quietly 'not touch' this masterpiece)

    Good one Geet-wa! xxx

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  4. I love a fellow food experimenter...it way more fun than just following a recipe...boring!
    Looks delish. I haven't got any electric beater though...hmmm where theres a will theres a way!

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