Nigella Lawson's Nontraditional Easter Cake Has Fans Smiling
Easter may have come and gone, but that didn't stop domestic goddess Nigella Lawson from posting a delectable-looking Lemon Meringue Cake, which she shared on social media. "While there's no logical reason for this to be an Easter cake, in my house it just *is* an Easter cake," she said via Twitter, adding, "Do join me: it's #RecipeOfTheDay; it's my Lemon Meringue Cake."
Turns out, Nigella wasn't the only one to have thought of her cake as being appropriate for the season, because her Twitter feed was flooded with fan photos with their own versions of the dessert. One fan pointed out there was no reason for the cake *not to be considered appropriate for the season, because "It's got eggs and lemon. Traditional Easter ingredients." Another agreed, saying: "Anything lemon this time of year is outstanding." But a third Twitter user, poking fun at the appearance of the cake, shared a photo of a Sausage McMuffin and the caption "Here's mine"
Lawson's lemon meringue cake honors the pie, but not for the reason you think
Nigella Lawson admits that her Lemon Meringue Cake came about because she could not make a success of a lemon meringue pie. "I've tried, and I've tried, and it's not that I've utterly failed, but I haven't completely delighted myself. There's enough of that kind of falling short in the rest of life, without having to usher in disappointment and self-loathing in the kitchen," she wrote on her website. And while the chef calls this her "easy option," she also thinks the cake option is far superior to its pie cousin.
Nigella's lemon meringue cake calls for spooning meringue over two tins of sponge batter and baking the mixtures together. When done, slather the bottom layer with whisked double cream and lemon curd before sandwiching the second cake layer on top. The cake can be made a day before it is served, but she warns that the meringue may soften in a more humid environment. She also suggests that leftovers be consumed within 24 hours, although it's hard to believe leftovers are even a possibility with this charming spring cake.