Lemon Meringue Chiffon Cake
It’s that time of year again – yes, it’s my blog birthday!
My dear little blog is turning 7 today.
It’s so weird, it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago when I was writing last year’s post. But in other ways it feels like forever ago.
I know that posts haven’t been very frequent, particularly in the past 6 months or so. There’s been a couple of reasons for that, but one of them is because I resolved in the past year to be kinder to myself. I’m not always successful at that – it’s a constant work in progress – and much like everyone I am my own worst enemy.
But part of the being kind to myself is me acknowledging (or at least trying) that I shouldn’t do things just because I feel like I should. If there’s no good reason to do something and I’m not getting anything out of it – why bother? Hence I haven’t been pushing myself to post.
Well. This turned out much more introspective than I intended.
My blog turns 7 today, and while I feel a little reinvigorated about blogging, tbvh – I don’t know where this will go in the future. If I disappear, or if I start only putting up pictures of cakes or cats (or goats or alpacas or whatever has taken my fancy recently) just know that it’s because I’m being kind to myself.
I hope you’re being kind to yourself too.
PS: I baked a cake – this lemon meringue chiffon cake – for my blog birthday and it was amazing. I was going to write about the cake but then all this came out. It wasn’t what I intended at all.Β Isn’t life a surprise.
Ingredients
- 7 eggs, separated
- 220g flour
- 350g caster sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Grated rind of 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Lemon curd
- 2 egg whites
- 110g caster sugar
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 2 egg whites
- 110g caster sugar
- Pinch of cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160Β°C and set aside a large 20cm tube cake tin that has a removable base.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, water, oil, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla.
- Add to the wet ingredients to the flour and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.
- Using a large metal spoon, fold in a spoonful of the egg whites to the cake mixture to lighten it.
- Add the rest of the egg whites to the cake mixture and fold in with your metal spoon until just combined.
- Pour the batter into your cake tin and bang it on your work surface a couple of times to bring any large air bubbles to the surface. (Note: if there is a lot of batter, don't add it all to the tin. You only want to fill it to 3/4 full. If you have extra, put them into cupcake liners and make small cakes. Small cupcake sized ones need to be baked for 15 minutes only.)
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and immediately invert the entire tin and cake upside down until it's cool - you can do this by resting the middle of the tube over a bottle, or (if your cake isn't too tall) by placing it over a high wire rack that will let air circulate underneath.
- To release the cake, run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and the tin. You will want to serve the cake upside down as it's prettier that way.
- When completely cool, cut cake horizontally into three layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate and spread with a thin layer of lemon curd. Place the second layer on top and spread with lemon curd. Top with the remaining cake layer.
- Cover with the meringue coating (see below) and decorate with mini meringues if desired.
- Store the cake in the fridge.
- Place the egg whites and the pinch of cream of tartar in a large clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Continue beating for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick, glossy, all the sugar dissolves and a long trailing peak forms when the beater is lifted from the mixture.
- Spread evenly over the entire cake (an off set spatula helps) - there should be just enough to cover the top and sides.
- Using a blowtorch, lightly torch the meringue coating until light brown.
- Preheat oven to 100Β°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Place the egg whites and the pinch of cream of tartar in a large clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Continue beating for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick, glossy, all the sugar dissolves and a long trailing peak forms when the beater is lifted from the mixture.
- Place the pink mixture into a clean piping bag fitted with a fluted 1.5cm diameter nozzle. Pipe the mixture into small meringues on to the trays.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 1.5 hours until meringues are crisp and sound hollow when tapped on base.
- Turn oven off and leave in oven for 3 hours or until cool.
Keren
August 7, 2014 @ 7:36 pm
Ooooh, I have many, many lemons to make my way through – this looks like a fabulously delicious way to take care of some of them π Continue being kind to yourself xx
msihua
August 7, 2014 @ 8:46 pm
You may be kind to yourself anytime my love <3
Winnie @ Eat.Play.Shop.
August 7, 2014 @ 10:57 pm
It’s a surprisingly hard thing to do, being kind to yourself. I hope you continue to do so π Blogging is only good when it’s fun!
Lemon + Meringue is one of my favourite combos, I might very well have to give this a go!
Annette
August 8, 2014 @ 5:45 am
Well first of all–that cake looks amazing. Just looking at it is making me so hungry for a piece.
….and then congratulations on seven years of inspired blog writing…..well done you….you have more than earned the right to just write whenever you want to….and NOT when you don’t!!
Gourmet Getaways
August 8, 2014 @ 8:51 pm
Wow, 7 years! Happy birthday to your blog. Nice and happy cake you got there π
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Hannah
August 25, 2014 @ 12:16 pm
In all honesty, I’m really impressed that you’ve been blogging at all, if this has been the reason behind fewer posts. The only way I could be kinder to myself and let go of the sickening gnawing sense of ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS WHAT WILL YOU POST NEXT was to stop entirely.
But I’m glad you kept going because now I have a list of 27 of your chiffon cakes to demand be made me upon my return.
PS There are caramel apple oreos now. I can’t. xo
PPS Happy blogiversary!
Daisy@Nevertoosweet
September 25, 2014 @ 12:50 am
Sorry haven’t had time to visit because like you i have been learning to not force anything π But i do wish you blog a VERY HAPPY BLOGVERSARY π it’s so amazing that you’ve been blogging for 7 years wow! I still feel like a noob π