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Lemon Meringue Sheet Cake Recipe

prep 1 hour
cook 20 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
total 3 hours 20 minutes
Serves 15 servings
Super fluffy vanilla sponge cake soaked in lemon simple syrup and layered with homemade lemon curd and vanilla toasted meringue.
Author: Bernice Baran
Servings 15 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

  • 6 large eggs, 55-60 grams each, separated
  • 150 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 56 grams salted butter, melted
  • 120 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder , read blog post

Lemon Simple Syrup

  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • zest of 1 large lemon
  • 180 mL water
  • 60 mL lemon juice, 1 large juicy lemon or 2 smaller ones

Lemon Curd

  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 large lemons, zested or 4 small
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 120 mL lemon juice , 1 large or 2 small lemons
  • 84 grams salted butter , room temperature

Toasted Meringue

  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 4 large egg whites, 120ish grams
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract
  • tiny pinch fine sea salt

Method

Lemon Curd

  1. Combine the sugar, eggs, lemon juice & zest, butter and salt in a small nonstick or enameled (NOT metal) saucepan over medium-low heat.*
    100 grams granulated sugar, 2 large lemons zested or 4 small, 2 large eggs room temperature, 2 large egg yolks room temperature, 120 mL lemon juice 1 large or 2 small lemons, 84 grams salted butter room temperature
  2. Whisk continuously until it thickens, about 5 minutes, just until it reaches about 170F (77C) - don't go over. The curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  3. While it’s still hot, press the curd through a sieve into another bowl/jar, cover it and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Can store covered in the refrigerator.

Lemon Simple Syrup

  1. In a small pot, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub them together to release more lemon flavor.
    100 grams granulated sugar, zest of 1 large lemon
  2. Add the water and lemon juice to the pot and bring to a boil. Heat just until all the sugar is fully dissolved. Allow to cool completely.
    180 mL water, 60 mL lemon juice 1 large juicy lemon or 2 smaller ones

Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) convection (325F/163C conventional) and grease and line a 9x13" or a 10" square pan with baking spray and parchment paper.
  2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, at full speed, beat until they're frothy.
    6 large eggs 55-60 grams each, separated
  3. With the mixer on medium speed, stream in the sugar. Turn the mixer up to full speed and beat just until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.
    150 grams granulated sugar
  4. Pour in the egg yolks, butter and vanilla and turn the mixer to medium-high speed, mixing, a few seconds, just until they're fully combined.
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 56 grams salted butter melted
  5. Sift in the flour and salt (and baking powder if using) and turn the mixer up to medium-low speed, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
    120 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder read blog post
  6. Scrape the edge of the bowl well and spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for about 20ish minutes, until the cake is golden and separates itself from the edge of the pan. It will also spring back when you press on it gently.
  7. Allow the cake to cool completely and then use a fork to poke holes all over it.

Toasted Meringue

  1. Bring a small pot with a little water to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer (keep it on very low heat).
  2. Wipe down your equipment with a tiny bit of vinegar or lemon juice (any edible acid) and then place the sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisking them together.
    200 grams granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  3. Add the egg whites to the bowl and whisk the egg whites into the sugar. Place the bowl of egg whites and sugar on top of the simmering water (making sure it doesn’t submerge into the water) – you want the steam to heat the egg whites.
    4 large egg whites 120ish grams
  4. Whisk the egg whites frequently so they don’t coagulate around the edge of the bowl. Generally around 5 minutes, the sugar will feel like it’s dissolved in the egg whites but you want to take the egg whites to 175F (80C) in order to get that stable, marshmallowy texture, which is normally around 10 minutes for me. So make sure to check the temperature with a thermometer between the 5-10 minutes (it may take up to 15 minutes).
  5. Once it’s at 175F (80C), turn the stove off, remove the bowl from the simmering pot and place it on the stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed for a minute and then increase to medium-high for about 10 minutes.
  6. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix, that just until it’s combined, making sure to scrape the edge of the bowl as well. The texture should be thick and marshmallow – not dry or foamy.
    1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract, tiny pinch fine sea salt

Assemble

  1. Use a pastry brush or a spoon to drizzle the lemon simple syrup on top of the cake and then spread a good layer of lemon curd on top.
  2. Spread the meringue or use a piping bag to pipe the meringue on top of the lemon curd. Use a culinary torch to toast the top of the meringue. Feel free to top it with a little more lemon curd if you want.

Notes

  • Store bought lemon curd will work as well but I don’t particularly love any of them to recommend (but store bought marshmallow fluff will just weep so I don't recommend that).
  • If you need the meringue to be SUPER stable you can add gelatin to it.
    • I just dissolve a 1/4 tsp of gelatin in 2 tsp of cold water. Let it set for a few minutes and then microwave it for 5 seconds. Add it in with the vanilla and salt, mixing just until it’s well combined. It’ll set once it’s refrigerated.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 214mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 395IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Course: Layer Cakes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon, lemon meringue, marshmallow meringue, sheet cake