It seems that lemon meringue pie is a firm family favourite in our household. And while I love making it, I can’t deny the fact that it is time consuming. Pastry made, rested, rolled, rested….you get the idea. So with my little brother arriving into town a day after his birthday, and knowing he was also a lover of lemon meringue, I decided to get creative. And make a lemon meringue cake. In place of pastry, I cheated and cooked two vanilla cakes – from a packet (gasp). I did, however, make the lemon curd from scratch. And before too long, it was time to layer. Cake, lemon curd, cake, lemon curd and…..cake! Sandwiched together, then covered generously in light meringue. Finished by baking for 10 minutes or so, or until the meringue was starting to colour. I was really pleased with how this turned out. It took a little time, but not a lot of time, and had all the trademark lemon meringue flavours! Yes, this will most certainly be added to my ‘baking repertoire’. Lemon Meringue Cake

• 2 x packet vanilla cakes
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 tbs corn flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tsp butter
• Grated rind of one lemon
• 4 egg whites
• 3/4 cup caster sugar

1. Cook the vanilla cakes as per the packet directions, then allowed to cool.  I then sliced each of the cakes into 2 horizontal layers , but only used 3 layers for the final cake. You could therefore most certainly get away using one cake if you were to slice it into 3 layers.
2. For the lemon curd – combine the sugar, cornflour, water and juice in a small saucepan and stir until smooth. Place over a low heat, and cook – stirring – until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the egg yolks – stirring until smooth. Return to the heat,  bring to a gentle simmer  and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir through the butter and lemon peel. Set aside to cool.
3. For the meringue – whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk on a high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. To assemble – place one of the cake layers on an oven-proof plate. Top with half of the lemon curd. Repeat, and then top with the final cake layer. Spread the meringue over the top and sides of the cake to cover completely.
5. Bake at 350C for 10-15 minutes or until the meringue has browned lightly. Cool and serve.

What about you? What is your family’s favourite dessert?