Go Back
Print

Lemon and Raspberry Meringue Torte

Fresh bright Spring vibes in this wonky and happy torte. Think of it as lemon pie collides with pavlova!! Perfect with Spring and Summer berries.
Course Dessert
Cuisine North American
Keyword lemon curd, lime, meringue, raspberries
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) very soft unsalted butter, or 125 grams
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups fine granulated sugar, or 300 grams
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour, or 100 grams, see Notes
  • 25 tbsp cornstarch, or 25 grams
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • zest of 2 limes, divided, see Notes
  • 4 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp milk
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd, or 170 grams, See Notes
  • 2/3 cup whipping cream, or 150 mL
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, or 100 grams

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200C). Line and grease two 8 inch (21 cm) springform pans.
  2. Mix the egg yolks, 1/2 cup (100g) of the sugar, the butter, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and half the lime zest in a processor. Add the lemon juice and milk and process again till smooth.
  3. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans. It may not look like enough, but it will spread and cover the bottom. Spread with a rubber spatula until smooth.
  4. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly whisk in 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar and whisk till stiff peaks form. Divide the meringue between the two sponge-filled tins, spreading the meringue straight on top of the cake batter.
  5. Smooth one flat with a small off-set spatula. With the other pan, using the back of a spoon or spatula, create peaks in the other meringue. Finish with a sprinkle of 1 teaspoon of sugar over the peaks. Place the pans onto a baking sheet and place the sheet onto the centre rack in the oven for 20-25 minutes. (if the top of the meringues are browning towards the end, feel free to cover lightly with foil)
  6. Use a skewer to test the cake that has the flat meringue topping to check that it is cooked all through. No sponge mixture should stick to the tester. Remove both cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pans.
  7. Once cooled, un-mould the flat-topped one on to a cake stand or plate, meringue side down.
  8. Whisk the double cream with the cornstarch until thick but not stiff and set aside.
  9. Spread the flat sponge surface of the first cake on the cake stand or plate with the lemon curd, not going to the very edges.
  10. Spread the whipped cream on top of the curd, again, not going to the very edges. Top with fresh berries and remaining lime zest.
  11. Cover with the remaining cake, bronze-peaked meringue uppermost. Don't worry if the cake seems a little weak in the middle as you transport it over. It will push down slightly on the filling, causing it to spill over the edges. This is part of the charm! Think of this as lemon pie and pavlova in one!

  12. It is at its optimum on the day it is made, but stored in a sealed container leftovers will definitely keep for a few days in the fridge.

  13. See blog post for more details.

Recipe Notes

You can use a gf cup for cup flour blend as long as it contains a binder like xanthan gum.

Zest the lime: use a fine microplane for the first lime, for the cake batter. If you have a bar zester, feel free to use this to create ribbons for the lime zest to sprinkle over the berries in the filling during assembly.

For the best Lemony Lemon Curd recipe, just click here!    The Lemon Curd can be made in advance and stored in the fridge till needed.

Recipe inspired by one found in the book Feast by Nigella Lawson