{"id":129031,"date":"2025-03-12T19:22:56","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T19:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/baking-category-a-b\/triple-lemon-cake-revised\/"},"modified":"2025-03-12T19:22:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T19:22:56","slug":"triple-lemon-cake-revised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=129031","title":{"rendered":"Triple Lemon Cake – Revised"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This truly special European Style Triple Lemon Cake<\/strong> will have everyone asking where you got it. While elegant and stunning in appearance, it is actually easy to make. This show stoppe<\/strong>r consists of a lemon cake, lemon soaking syrup and lemon topping – easy component parts that can be made ahead and assembled when needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While this is a longer than usual post, it is actually very simple<\/strong> and I suggest that you read the post through and look at the step by step photos. <\/p>\n

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This cake contradicts the normal assembly of a cake.\u00a0\u00a0The topping is on the outside of the French sponge cake, genoise.\u00a0\u00a0The crumbs on the outside are cake crumbled in the processor.\u00a0\u00a0To protect the topping from crusting over, meringue is piped on top.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"how\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tBaking gets better when you subscribe<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Special Note: <\/strong>This was originally posted when I switched formats. All of the how to pictures were lost in the process. I have added more information about the ingredients and additional photos. <\/p>\n\n

\nJump to:<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n

What is a Genoise Cake<\/h2>\n

While originating around 1500 in Genoa, Italy, the French named it genoise when they took it over.\u00a0\u00a0French baking borrowed recipes liberally from other nations, renaming them as they went along.\u00a0\u00a0Genoise has a reputation for being two things – difficult to make and dry.\u00a0\u00a0Neither of which is true if you follow the directions. <\/p>\n

Used as a foil for many fillings and finishes in French Cakes, the cake is a type of butter sponge in which whole eggs are beaten with sugar to incorporate air.\u00a0\u00a0Air is the only leavening in the cake.\u00a0\u00a0Processing granulated sugar will turn it into bakers sugar <\/a>which is very fine, allowing it to become incorporated with the eggs much easier, better, and faster.\u00a0\u00a0The eggs should be room temperature.\u00a0\u00a0If you forget to take them out ahead of time, just put them in hot water while you get everything else ready.<\/p>\n

When I wrote my first book,\u00a0The New Pastry Cook<\/em>, I struggled mightily with getting the melted butter folded into the batter.\u00a0\u00a0Despite having a wonderful French pastry chef instruct me, my butter always ended up on the bottom of the baked cake, making a rubbery, dense,\u00a0\u00a0unattractive and unwanted layer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What I ended up doing was to take some of the completed batter and add it to the butter.\u00a0\u00a0By whisking the two vigorously, they became emulsified.\u00a0\u00a0That was added back to the majority of the batter and quickly folded in.\u00a0\u00a0That solved the main reason this cake was thought to be difficult.<\/p>\n

This cake can be dry and dense if the flour is folded in too forcefully or too long.\u00a0\u00a0Fold the first half of the flour in about \u00be of the way, then add the remainder.\u00a0\u00a0A very light touch is needed here.\u00a0\u00a0Emulsify the butter and fold it in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Genoise can be made months ahead, frozen, wrapped really well, and held in the freezer awaiting the final assembly.<\/p>\n

Lemon Soaking Syrup<\/h2>\n

There are several reasons for using a soaking syrup.\u00a0\u00a0The most important is to add flavor, either to intensify the main flavor or to add another dimension.\u00a0\u00a0The second reason is to add moisture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is added to this Triple Lemon Cake to maximize the lemon flavor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Lemon Topping<\/h2>\n

If you love lemon meringue pie, you’ll love this \u201cfilling\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0The lemon is intense but not biting. It is added as the top layer of the cake and on the sides as the glue to keep the crumbs in place.<\/p>\n

The filling needs to be refrigerated, preferably overnight to firm up.<\/p>\n

Cake Crumbs for the Finish<\/h2>\n

Using cake crumbs to finish the outside of a cake is a very \u201cbakery\u201d thing to do,\u00a0especially since there are often cake trims or leftover cake around.\u00a0\u00a0Simply tear the cake into pieces and add them to the processor.\u00a0\u00a0Pulse to make crumbs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This works for any plain cake.\u00a0\u00a0If not needed immediately, store in the freezer for later.<\/p>\n

Swiss Meringue <\/strong><\/h2>\n

While there are three basic types of meringues, I chose the Swiss meringue for this cake because I wanted a denser meringue \u2013 sort of marshmallowy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The egg whites and sugar are heated together in the mixing bowl and then whipped to hold peaks.\u00a0\u00a0Piping or spooning them over the exposed lemon topping will prevent it from crusting over.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, in place of the meringue, use fresh fruit as one of my readers suggested. <\/p>\n

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Why This Recipe Works<\/h2>\n