Lemon Naked Cake

There is one thing that jumps to mind when I think of my Grandma, and that is her love of lemon flavoured cake and desserts. Therefore, this is a bake in honour of her that I would have very much liked to have been able to share with her to celebrate her birthday. However, it will now be a cake by which I will remember her. 

This cake is lemon through and through. It has a moist lemon sponge, a tangy lemon curd and plenty of sweet buttercream. This is most definitely a cake for lemon lovers!

Recipe - Makes 6 inch cake

For the sponge:

• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 80ml oat milk (or other dairy free milk)
• 100g margarine, softened
• 100g golden caster sugar
• Zest 1 lemon
• 120g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the meringues: 

• Aquafaba from 1 tin chickpeas
• 100g caster sugar

For the lemon curd:

• Juice 1 lemon
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 40g caster sugar
• 20g margarine, cubed

For the buttercream:

• 60g margarine, softened
• 150g icing sugar
• Zest 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line two loose-bottomed 6 inch sandwich tins. To make the sponge, combine the oat milk and vinegar together and stir, then set aside until needed. Next, cream the margarine and sugar together into a bowl until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest. Tip in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold in, slowly adding the milk. Divide between the two lined tins and bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Whilst the sponge is baking, prepare the drizzle. Mix the caster sugar and lemon juice together. Warm in the microwave until the sugar dissolves. Once the cake is baked, remove and prick the top all over with a skewer. Drizzle over the lemon juice and sugar mix. Leave the sponge in the tin for 5 minutes then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Next, prepare the meringues for the topping. Pour the aquafaba into a clean glass mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar a spoon at a time, whisking continuously. Keep whisking until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star piping nozzle and pipe peaks onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Use the rest of the mixture to make meringues for a later date. Bake the small meringues at 110C for 1 hour and any larger meringues for 1 hour 30 or until crisp. Remove and set aside until needed, storing in an air tight container when cooled to prevent any moisture absorption. 

Meanwhile, make the lemon curd by mixing the ingredients in a small pan and stir over a medium heat until combined and thickened. Remove and leave to cool. Prepare the buttercream by creaming the margarine and icing sugar to light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly. 

To construct the cake, place one of the sponges on a plate. Spread over most of the lemon curd (reserving 1-2 tbsp for decorating) followed by 1/3 of the buttercream. Place the second sponge on top. Spread the remainder of the buttercream over the top and sides, ensuring the buttercream on the sides is thin enough to see the sponge through it. Arrange some of the small meringues on top of the cake. Transfer the lemon curd to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain piping nozzle. Pipe lemon curd in between the meringues. Crush some of the remaining meringues and sprinkle on top, then serve.