Limoncello & Toasted Meringue Cake #TheCakeSliceBakers

Here we are with the June edition of the Cake Slice Bakers. For 2020, we are baking from The New Way to Cake: Simple Recipes with Exceptional Flavor by Benjamina Ebuehi.*

In this group, we are given a selection of three cake recipes. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book. Here is the line-up of the June #TheCakeSliceBakers cakes...

Coconut, Raspberry & Rose Roulade

• All That's Left Are The Crumbs

Limoncello & Toasted Meringue Cake

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• My Recipe Reviews
• Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sweet Sensations

Blueberry, Lemon & Lavender Frangipane Cake

• A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Camille Cooks
• Amandie Bakes
• A Little Bit of All Right
• Making Miracles

Limoncello & Toasted Meringue Cake

I almost always have jars of homemade limoncello on my shelf along with Liquore all'Alloro (bay leaf liqueur), Nocino (green walnut liqueur), and more 'witchy-brews' as my boys call them. But my mom had given me a bottle of limoncello for my birthday in May; I decided to use that one for baking and serving. Cin cin.

I did double the limoncello syrup ingredients and used the same syrup for drizzling on to the cake and in the meringue! I'm all for simplifying and making two different syrups didn't make sense to me.

Ingredients makes one 9" cake

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup organic granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (I used a olive oil)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)
• zest from 2 organic lemons
• juice from 1 organic lemon
• 2 Tablespoons limoncello

Syrup

• 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
• 4 Tablespoons limoncello
• 1/2 cup water

Meringue

• 1/2 cup syrup (from above)
• 1/2 cup egg whites, approximately 4 to 5 large eggs' worth
• Also needed: candy thermometer, culinary butane torch

Procedure

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 9-inch pan - I used a round - and line with a piece of parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl beat together eggs and sugar until thick and pale, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly pour in the oil and milk. Beat until a uniform color. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and limoncello. Then fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come our clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Then cool completely.

Syrup

Heat sugar, water, and limoncello in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves completely. Divide in half, approximately two 1/2 cup portions. Prick holes in the top of the cake and spoon 1/2 cup of the syrup over the top, one Tablespoon at a time. Let it soak in before adding more.

Meringue

Add 1/2 C cup syrup to a saucepan and let it come to a boil. The syrup will begin to thicken as it reaches 238 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove it from the heat and set aside. Add the egg whites to a clean medium mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites on low until foamy, then increase the temperature and raise the speed to medium. Beat until soft peaks form. 

Pour the hot syrup into the bowl along the side while beating on low. Once all of the syrup has been added, beat until you have stiff, glossy peaks.

Assembly

Move the cooled cake to a serving platter. Spoon the meringue onto the top. Use a culinary totch to lightly toast the meringue. Serve immediately.

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