What a beautiful gift I got today from a co-worker.  A giant bag of Meyer lemons.  Here in Southeast Georgia we are blessed to get these beauties, as well as Kumquats, Grapefruit and, Satsuma Oranges at this time of year.  It’s heaven.

If you’re not familiar with the Meyer Lemon, it’s a sweet and thin-skinned citrus fruit that is less acidic than the more common lemon varieties.  Tastes like a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  It’s native to China and has been grown primarily in California since the 1940s mostly as an ornamental plant.  It started getting recognition when a famous pastry chef, Alice Waters, brought these to light in her 1999 book, Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook.  With a little help from Martha Stewart, its popularity grew.  The Meyer Lemon is pretty mainstream and available year-round in grocery stores. But, nothing like taking it right off the tree and using it.

So, of course, I had to get in the kitchen and make something fabulous.  The choices were endless – meyer lemon panna cotta, meyer limoncello, meyer lemon gelato, preserved meyer lemons and on and on.  But, from my bakery days, I remembered one of our bride’s most popular wedding cake selections: Lemon Pound Cake soaked with lemon simple syrup and filled with a layer of lemon curd and one of lemon mousse layered with fresh raspberries.  Yum! And THAT is where we’re going today.

To make this beautiful dessert, you’ll need GF Pound Cake, Simple Syrup, Meyer Lemon Curd that will be used in two ways – as a curd and as a mousse and fresh raspberries.

Let’s start with the Gluten Free Pound Cake Recipe that I posted a short while ago.  The only adjustment to that recipe will be adding 1 Tablespoon of lemon zest toward the end of the mixing.  Split the recipe between two 6″ pans or if you want to make a 3″ dessert, bake the pound cake in a 1/2 sheet pan and cut out 3″ circles.  To prepare the pans, grease the sides of the pans with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment.

Gluten Free Pound Cake Recipe Here

You’ll find the Simple Syrup recipe here.  If you’re into more lemon flavor, just add some fresh Meyer lemon juice to the simple syrup to taste.

Fresh Raspberries – 1 pint

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Meyer Lemon Curd
Author: Deb Farina
Recipe type: Filling
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 cups
This tart lemon curd is fresh and can be turned into a mousse rather easily.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) Meyer Lemon Juice (usually from 1 large Meyer Lemon)
  • 4 ounces (8 Tablespoons) Butter, unsalted
  • 2 Large Egg Yolks (1.75 ounces)
  • 2 Large Whole Eggs (4.0 ounces)
  • 5.3 ounces (about ¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon extract
  • Zest from 1 Meyer Lemon – about 1 Tablespoon
  • To make mousse:
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Combine Meyer Lemon Juice and Butter in a medium saucepan (not aluminum) and bring to a boil.
  2. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, combine the yolks, whole eggs and sugar. Whisk until light in color and slightly thickened. About 2 minutes.
  3. Temper the egg mixture by whisking in a small amount of the lemon juice/butter mixture into the yolks. Then, while constantly whisking, add the egg mixture back into the lemon juice/butter mixture.
  4. Place pan over medium high heat and whisk constantly until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat immediately and place mixture into shallow bowl. To prevent a crust from forming on the lemon curd, place plastic wrap over the curd and lightly press so that plastic wrap touches top of curd.
  5. Refrigerate until completely cool about 2 hours. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
  6. To make mousse:
  7. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks.
  8. Divide lemon curd in half and reserve one part for first layer of cake filling.
  9. Take remaining lemon curd and gently fold into whipped heavy cream.

To assemble cake:

 

  1.  Cut cake horizontally into 3 pieces.
  2. Place bottom layer on cake serving plate.  Brush lightly with simple syrup.
  3. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd onto bottom cake layer.
  4. Place 2nd layer of cake on top of lemon curd.  Brush lightly with simple syrup.
  5. Spread or pipe lemon mousse onto 2nd layer of cake.  Place fresh raspberries on top of lemon mousse.  Place a small amount of lemon mousse on top of the raspberries so that the next layer of cake will stick to raspberries.
  6. Place top layer of cake on top of lemon mousse/raspberries and brush the top cake layer with simple syrup.
  7. You could pipe a decorative rosette on top or spread the remaining mousse over the entire cake and decorate the top with the remaining raspberries.
  8. Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar before serving.
  9. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

And, that’s it!

Mangia!  Mangia!

 

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