As promised, the hero of this post is lemon curd (that hopefully you’ve successfully made at home :p). You won’t believe it, but this beautiful lemon curd mousse cake is downright my proudest creation throughout my 1 ½ -year-baking-life – so it’s already happily sitting on my still-imaginary-cafe’s menu waiting to be ordered and devoured!
In my baking philosophy, balance is as important as flavour. The best desserts are those that deliver multiple complementary tastes and textures. In this balancing act, there is meringue and whipped cream, gently folded in, contributing to the lightness of the mousse. Then, I specifically chose macadamia as the cake base as it is crunchy and light. With the help of butter, it keeps the lemon from completely dominating the taste.
So, from top to bottom, you get the marshmallowy softness of meringue, the creaminess of lemon curd, the airy feel of mousse, and the crunch of macadamia. They all come together to create the perfect mousse cake eating experience.
All of that aside, don’t get intimidated by the numerous components of the cake. All you need is time and patience – something I didn’t have at all. Even I of all people am still learning to appreciate the beauty of it every time I’m in the kitchen. Good luck, and have lots of fun with this recipe!
Ingredients:
For the mousse:
- 180g homemade lemon curd *for its instructions, please refer to the previous post
- 13g gelatin
- 150g/ml water
- 5 egg white
- 180g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tar tar
- 200ml heavy cream
For the base:
- 320g macadamia
- 50g butter, melted
For the toppings:
- 50g homemade lemon curd
Instructions:
For the base:
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
- Line an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Ground the nuts in a food processor or blender into a semi-fine texture with some crunch left. Add the melted butter. Mix well.
- Evenly distribute the mixture on the bottom of the pan and press with a spoon until the base is even and firm.
- Bake for 10 mins until golden brown. Set aside and let cool.
For the mousse:
- Mix the gelatin powder with water in a small bowl. Slowly melt the gelatin by placing the bowl in a hot water bath; alternatively, you can microwave the gelatin-water mixture for 15-20 seconds.
- In a large mixing bowl, add lemon curd and gelatin mixture; mix well.
- In another bowl, add egg whites, cream of tar tar, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed until foamy. Gradually add the caster sugar using a tablespoon, and beat until thick and glossy. This will take about 5-7 mins. Gently fold the egg whites into lemon curd mixture in 3 additions.
- Using the same bowl and electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form (do NOT over mix). Gently fold whipped cream into the mixture in 3 additions.
- Pour the mousse mixture into the cooled cake pan. Refrigerate at least for 3.5 hours for the cake to set.
For the lemon curd topping:
- Sift 50g of your homemade lemon curd to remove any lumps or zest.
- Evenly spread the curd over the top of the cake. Enjoy!!
*Feel free to put meringue decoration just like I dd
Lemon curd is one of the greatest inventions on Earth. I love it because it’s refreshingly sweet & tart at the same time. Making it yourself may sound intimidating enough that you’d opt for store-bought ones in the supermarket. But let me get this straight – making lemon curd yourself only sounds sophisticated – it’s actually SO very easy. In fact, you might start thinking about giving away jars and jars of lemon curd to your friends, family or even your neighbours whenever the occasion calls for it LOL.
This delicious and simple recipe is by Cupcake Jemma. I first came across her when I was searching for cupcake videos on YouTube. The cupcakes she made in her videos looked so good that I finally overcame my irrational fear of making them, and made my first round as soon as I could (but let’s leave that for next time). I absolutely admire her, for her unquestionable talent in baking, self-confidence, beauty, and tattoos. She has simplified the making process so much that I couldn’t wait to give it a go. And you know what? She didn’t lie; it’s just that simple.
Ingredients:
- 5 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 110 ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 110 g caster sugar
- 60g cold chopped butter
Instructions:
- Prepare a double boiler. To do so, fill a saucepan with 1-1.5 inches high of water and bring it to simmer. Find a heatproof bowl that fits in the saucepan without directly touching the water.
- Put all ingredients except the butter into the heatproof bowl. Using a whisk, stir the mixture continuously but gently to slowly cook the eggs. The lemon curd is ready when it starts to thicken up. This process will take about 5-7 mins. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.
- Stir in the cold chopped butter into the mixture. Mix until the butter completely melts.
- Put the lemon curd into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
*You may sieve the lemon curd if you want a creamier texture, just remember that you only add the lemon zest in the end.