On my mother’s birthday, I want to give her an inventive, unusual cake that she hasn’t made or tasted a hundred times before. I was inspired by the idea of turning lemon meringue pie into a lemon meringue cake, and with a bag of fresh blackberries needing to be used, the lemon and blackberry meringue cake recipe began to come together.
I wanted a delicate, flavorful sponge, so I added ground almonds to the mix. I thought using two egg yolks and only 1 full egg might make it a little heavy, but I gave it a good beating and it turned out light in texture, but rich in taste.
I pondered about making the meringue topping separately, but in the end, I was short of time, so the whole lot ended up being baked altogether. It’s not a perfect recipe – the blackberries on top of the meringue caused some quite dramatic sinkage – but the contrast in textures, tastes, and blackberry signature worked well.
It’s definitely a lemon and blackberry meringue cake recipe I’ll experiment more with and it would work with so many different flavor combinations. It’s a unique little cake to try out if you’re bored with just making cupcakes.
Lemon and Blackberry Meringue Cakes
Ingredients
- 4 oz gluten-free self-raising flour
- 3 oz light brown sugar
- 4 oz butter
- 1 oz ground almonds
- 3 eggs
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 4 oz blackberries
- 1 lemon
- Flaked almonds to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160oC and line cupcake tins with 12 cases.
- Separate two of the eggs and put the whites into a mixer. Start mixing on a medium speed. Keep your eye on this as you prepare the cake mixture – the whites should be mixed until they form stiff peaks – about 3 mins.
- Meanwhile, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the yolks and the third egg with a pinch of the flour.
- Reserving 12 blackberries to decorate, roughly chop the rest and grate the zest of the lemon. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Fold in the flour and ground almonds, then stir in the fruit.
- When the egg whites have formed stiff peaks, slowly add in the caster sugar mixing continuously, until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
- Spoon the cake mixture into the cases and top with a fairly thin layer of the meringue mixture.
- Top each cake with a whole blackberry and a few flaked almonds.
- Bake for about 40 mins until the meringue is risen and just turning golden.
- Serve on their own or with a little fresh cream.
Notes
So, I hope you’ll enjoy the perfect balance of zesty lemon, sweet blackberries, and airy meringue with these lemon and blackberry meringue cakes. With each bite, savor the blend of flavors and textures – from the tangy lemon to the juicy berries and the delicate crunch of flaked almonds. These mini cakes are not just desserts; they’re moments of pure delight to share with loved ones.
