Meringue stack with cheesecake filling
The best part of this impressive dessert is that the meringue and lemon curd can be prepared in advance.
Makes 1 x 23cm cake Preparation time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Baking time: 1 hour Oven temperature: 120°C
• mint leaves • raspberries or other ripe berries • granadilla pulp MERINGUE LAYERS • 6 egg whites • a few drops lemon juice • 240g (300ml) sugar • 70g (125ml) flour • 200g nuts (we used pecans), finely chopped LEMON CURD • 6 egg yolks, whisked • 200g (250ml) sugar • 125ml lemon juice • zest of 1 lemon • 125g butter, melted
CHEESECAKE FILLING • 250ml cream • 105g (125ml) castor sugar • 2 x 230g cream cheese • 15ml fresh lemon juice • zest of 1 lemon
1 Preheat the oven. Whisk the egg whites and lemon juice for the meringue layers until soft peaks form. Whisk the sugar, a spoonful at a time, until well combined and glossy. Fold in the flour and nuts carefully. Divide the mixture between three sheets of baking paper and spread out to form rough circles each with a diameter of 23cm (draw guidelines with pen on the back of the baking paper if you prefer). Bake for 1 hour and allow to cool in the oven.
2 Whisk the egg yolks and sugar for the lemon curd in a microwave-safe bowl until well blended. Now whisk in the lemon juice, zest and butter until well mixed. Microwave for 1 minute at a time, whisking well after each minute until the mixture is thick and smooth. This takes 6–10 minutes, depending on your microwave. Spoon into a clean jar and allow to cool. This mixture can keep in a refrigerator for up to two weeks.
3 When you are ready to assemble the cake, whisk the cream and icing sugar together until stiff. Whisk the cream cheese and lemon juice until just combined, then fold the cream into it. If the cream cheese is too stiff, whisk lightly but not too much.
4 Spread a thick layer of cream cheese filling onto each meringue layer, followed by a generous helping of lemon curd. Draw a spoon through the two layers to create a marble effect. Place the layers on top of each other and garnish with mint leaves, berries and granadilla pulp (you can also add berries and mint leaves to the various layers if desired). Leave to stand for about 30 minutes before you tuck in.