Lemon Meringue Cake

This recipe is adapted from Nigel Lawson's recipe in "Feast: Food to Celebrate Life." Lawson's recipe called for an 8" cake pan. Seeing that I only own 9" cake pans and did not want to go and buy another set of 8" pans, I calculated the volume and weight of ingredients needed to make a 9" cake. I should convert into grams some of the dry ingredients. I'll get to it one day. 

Pay attention to the quantity/weight of sugar used in different parts of the recipes. 

INGREDIENTS

 5 oz unsalted butter, brought to room temperature and very soft

5 eggs, separated

1 7/8 cups + 1 tsp sugar

112.5 g all purpose flour

2 1/2 tbs cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

5/8 tsp baking soda

Zest of 1 1/4 lemon (or just one large lemon)

5 tsp lemon juice

2 1/2 tsp milk

5/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup whipping cream

2/3 cup lemon curd

Preheat oven to 400F. Line and butter two 9" cake pans. 

Place into processor: Butter and  5/8 cups of sugar. Blitz. Add egg yolks. Blitz again. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Blitz. Add lemon juice and milk and process again. 

Divide the mixture between the prepared pans (weigh the amount if you must to make sure they are evenly distributed). Spread them out evenly. 

Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form and then whisk in the remaining 1 1/4 cup of sugar. Keep going till you have this luscious gleaming white meringue. Divide the whisked whites between the two pans. Spread out the meringue. Smooth one meringe flat. Make pretty peaks with the other. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes. 

(If using a small counter top oven that can't fit in two pans at first, whisk 1/2 of the egg whites and a little more than 1/4 tsp of cream and tartar till peaks form. Then whisk in 1/2 + 1/8 cup sugar till you have meringe. Pour over one of the pans, smooth it out, and bake for 20 minutes. Once the first cake pan comes out, repeat the meringue process with the reminding meringue ingredients. Repeat for second pan (with yellow egg batter), but make little peaks in the second)

Do check for doneness when 20 or 25 minutes is up with a toothpick. Let cool. 

(Probably have to run a butter knife around the cake first), unmold the flat topped one onto a cake stand or plate . Have meringue side down. Spread the lemon curd over this cake. Whisk the heavy cream until thick but not too stiff. Spread over the lemon curd. Then remove the second cake from the pan carefully and place it over the lemon curd and cream covered cake, meringue side up.