Step One: Creaming the Base. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and neutral oil until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This process typically takes about 5 minutes. Then, beat in the large egg and vanilla extract or paste until well combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step Two: Alternating Dry and Wet. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt. With your mixer running on low speed, gradually add about half of this dry ingredient mixture to your creamed butter and sugar. Mix until just combined and thickened, taking care not to overmix.

Step Three: Incorporating Liquids. In a small bowl, whisk together the room temperature sour cream and whole milk. Now, with the mixer still on low, add half of this liquid mixture to the cake batter. Mix until smooth, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat this process with the remaining dry and wet ingredients, ensuring everything is just combined and a smooth, cohesive batter forms.

Step Four: Bake and Cool. Divide the finished cake batter evenly between two prepared 6-inch cake pans (greased and lined with parchment paper). Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for about 10 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Ensure they are fully cooled before assembling.

Step Five: Prepare Bain Marie. Set up a Bain Marie by filling a saucepan with about two inches of water and bringing it to a medium-high heat. Place a heatproof bowl securely over the saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water. Add egg whites, granulated sugar, and kosher salt to this bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture is warm to the touch.

Step Six: Transfer and Whip. Once the sugar is fully dissolved (test by rubbing a small amount between your fingers; no grit should remain), carefully transfer the warm egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whipping on medium speed for about a minute to cool it slightly.

Step Seven: Achieve Stiff Peaks. Add the vanilla extract or paste to the mixture, then increase the mixer speed to high. Continue whipping until very stiff, glossy peaks form. The meringue should be firm enough that when you lift the whisk, the peak holds its shape without collapsing. The bowl should feel cool to the touch.

Step Eight: Create the Meringue Dam. Place one cooled cake layer on your serving plate or cake stand. Transfer a generous dollop of Swiss meringue to a piping bag with a ½-inch tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped). Pipe two concentric borders of meringue around the edge of the cake layer. This creates a “dam” to securely hold the lemon curd filling.

Step Nine: Seal the Dam. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, gently pull some of the inner meringue border towards the center of the cake. This ensures the base of the meringue dam is firmly sealed against the cake, preventing any precious lemon curd from seeping out the sides.

Step Ten: Fill with Lemon Curd. Carefully spoon the chilled lemon curd into the center of the meringue dam. Spread it evenly, making sure the curd does not exceed the height of the meringue border. This contained filling is key to a clean and beautiful cross-section when sliced.

Step Eleven: Add Second Layer. Gently place the second cake layer directly on top of the lemon curd filling. Do not press down, as this could force the curd out. Just align it carefully to sit lightly on the meringue dam and curd. Use a bit of extra meringue to smooth out any visible seams between the layers.

Step Twelve: Frost Generously. Apply a generous amount of the remaining Swiss meringue to the top and sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula to create beautiful, rustic swoops and peaks, ensuring the entire cake is completely covered with a thick, appealing layer of fluffy meringue. Don’t aim for perfect smoothness; the textured look is part of its charm!

Step Thirteen: Create Meringue Peaks. Once the cake is fully covered, use the back of a spoon to gently pull up in various areas all over the meringue surface. This creates delightful, artful peaks and swirls, adding to the cake’s rustic elegance and inviting texture. These peaks will brown beautifully when torched.

Step Fourteen: Torch to Perfection. For that signature lemon meringue pie look, gently toast the entire meringue surface with a kitchen torch. Move the flame continuously to achieve a beautiful golden-brown color on the peaks and swirls. This step adds both visual appeal and a caramelized flavor dimension. Slice and serve immediately for the best experience!

Traditional lemon curd is typically crafted from fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and butter. Our enhanced version, however, uses whole eggs, which contributes to an even thicker, richer texture and helps to minimize any overt “egginess,” resulting in a brighter, more pronounced lemon flavor.

Yes, due to the presence of the fresh lemon curd filling and the meringue frosting, this cake absolutely requires refrigeration. It is a perishable dessert. After assembly, any cut sides should be covered tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying out and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Certainly! While our homemade recipe yields the best results, you can use store-bought lemon curd as a convenient alternative. Just be aware that most commercial lemon curds are a bit thinner in consistency compared to our specially thickened recipe, so it might be more prone to oozing slightly from the cake layers. If using store-bought, chilling it extra well before assembly can help.

Homemade lemon curd is quite versatile for storage. It can last beautifully for up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container or a glass jar with a tightly sealing lid in the refrigerator. For longer preservation, lemon curd freezes exceptionally well and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw it in the fridge before using.

Lemon Curd

• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon zest
• ▢ ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 3 large eggs

Cake

• ▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup cornstarch
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup lemon zest
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
• ▢ ½ cup full-fat sour cream room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup whole milk room temperature

Swiss Meringue

• ▢ 4 large egg whites
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

Lemon Curd

1. Zest two to three lemons until you have 3 tablespoons of zest.
   3 tablespoons lemon zest
2. Cut and juice the lemons until there is ½ cup of lemon juice – remove any seeds.
   ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
3. Cut the butter into tablespoon pieces and place a fine mesh sieve on top of a bowl.
   6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4. Rub together the sugar and lemon zest until it turns pale yellow and very fragrant. Whisk in the cornstarch until evenly distributed.
   2 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ cup granulated sugar
5. Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium saucepan and add the eggs and lemon juice and place over medium-low heat.
   3 large eggs
6. Whisk constantly until the curd thickens considerably and coat the back of a spoon. About 5 minutes.
7. Transfer the curd to the fine mesh sieve and pass it through into the bowl using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Scrape the underside of the sieve to remove all curd.
8. Add in the pieces of butter and whisk until completely melted, incorporated, and smooth.
9. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the curd to prevent a skin from forming.
10. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using or eating.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ (175°C), grease and parchment line the bottom of two six-inch cake pans.
2. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and set aside.
   1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3. Using fingertips, mix together sugar and lemon zest until pale yellow and very fragrant.
   ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup lemon zest
4. Cream together the butter, sugar, and oil until pale in color, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again for one minute. Scrape down the sides.
   6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
5. Whisk together the sour cream and whole milk.
   ½ cup full-fat sour cream, ½ cup whole milk
6. With the mixer running on low speed, add half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk mixture. Scrape down the sides and repeat until the batter is completely moistened.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans then bake in the center rack for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with no wet batter.
8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and finish cooling for another 30 minutes, or until no longer warm to the touch.
9. If storage is needed, wrap the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 24 hours, or in the freezer if storage is needed for longer.

Swiss Meringue

1. Fill a saucepan with about two inches of water and turn to high heat. Add a heat proof bowl over top that fits securely. You don’t want any of the water touching the bottom of the bowl.
2. To the bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Continue lightly whisking until the mixture is rather warm and the sugar granules have dissolved. Check this by rubbing your fingers together in the mixture. If you can still feel sugar granules, continue cooking.
   4 large egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
3. Once the mixture is ready, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed for about a minute. Add the vanilla, then turn to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue gets caught in the middle of the whisk. The peak of the meringue should stand up to a point when you pull the whisk out.
   ½ tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

Assembly

1. If needed, use a serrated knife to cut off the domed tops of the cake rounds so it’s a nice, even cake layer.
2. Add one large dollop of meringue to a piping bag or ziptop bag and cut off a ½” tip.
3. Add one layer of cake to a cake stand and pipe a border around the edge of the cake. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to pull the insides down to touch the cake. This ensures none of the filling will escape.
4. Fill the inside of the border with lemon curd (not allowing it to go over the border), then very gently place the second cake layer evenly on top. Do not press down.
5. Add 2-3 dowels to the cake to help prevent it from sliding around.
6. Add a large amount of meringue to the top of the cake and begin working it down the sides, fully covering the cake.
7. Add the remaining meringue, and use the back of a spoon to create swoops all over.
8. Use a hand torch to lightly toast the meringue, then slice and serve.

The cake should be enjoyed shortly after assembly. Store in the fridge for up to two days, adding plastic wrap or a piece of parchment paper to the cut sides of the cake to prevent from drying out.

*When slicing into the cake, use a serrated knife. Carefully saw through the top meringue layer, very gently pushing down to get to the center, then carefully saw through the second cake layer to keep the structure of the cake intact.

**Insert 2-3 dowels into the middle of the cake prior to adding the meringue to hold the structure, especially since the meringue is very light and the curd can add weight.

Make the lemon curd and cake layers the day before assembly. Wrap the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and keep them at room temperature.