More citrus! ALL THE CITRUS! Why stop now? It makes my kitchen smell like sunshine, and besides — meyer lemons are in season (at least on the trees I have access to, ha) and they essentially embody sunshine in one little package.
Which means they were featured for the last round of dessert shenanigans! In two forms, both in a soufflé-cake-pudding hybrid and some lemon curd because you really can never have too much lemon.
I love December things! Lights, pretty houses, giant trees, and dessert. And tree elves doing yoga, obviously.
More drawing, of course.
But, back to the dessert (since I know that’s why you’re all here anyway!) — Light, refreshing and full of lemon flavor — this hybrid soufflé-curd-pie-cake-pudding is damn delicious. Perfect for the wintertime when the pop of citrus brightens up grey days and makes your kitchen smell like sunshine! Also perfect when you want dessert and need a break from the usual heavy desserts of the season.
Happy holidays! Hopefully you’re enjoying the season with loved ones and eating everything delicious.
Meyer Lemon Soufflé Curd Cake with Lemon Curd, Maple Blackberries and Mint
Paleo, gluten & grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free. Yield: 1 9″ pie dish, serves 2 (just kidding. Only kind of…) — it actually realistically could serve up to 6! But only if you feel like sharing.
For the lemon curd (best to make ahead and refrigerate), lightly adapted from What the Fork:
- 4 eggs
- zest of 2 meyer lemons
- 1/2 c meyer lemon juice
- 1/3 c honey
- 1/2 c coconut oil
- large pinch of fine sea salt
- heaping 1 tsp of vanilla extract
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together eggs, lemon zest and juice, honey, salt, and coconut oil. Continue to cook the curd over medium-low, whisking constantly, until it thickens. It should be about the same consistency as pudding after 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat once thickened, whisk in vanilla extract, and strain (I use a mesh strainer and a flat spatula for this) to remove any errant zest chunks. Once cool, store in airtight jars in the fridge. Keeps for a week or two, but I doubt it will last that long!
For the soufflé cake, adapted from 24 Carrot Kitchen, here:
- 4 eggs, separated
- scant 1/2 c full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 c maple syrup
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 2 meyer lemons
- 1/2 c meyer lemon juice
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
- large pinch of fine sea salt
- mint leaves for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350, and grease a 9″ pie dish.
In a non-reactive bowl (I like to use the bowl of my stand mixer), use a hand mixer or the raw power of your biceps to beat the eggs whites until they’re glossy and hold soft peaks. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, coconut milk, maple, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Whisk in coconut flour and salt. Gently fold in the egg whites until fully incorporated. Pour the batter (it will be relatively thin) into your prepared pie dish and bake for 30-35 minutes. The filling should be set and the top should be lightly browned — if it’s browning too fast, cover the top with a bit of foil. This cake is designed to have a pudding-y layer at the bottom, so be careful not to overbake. Let cool before serving.
While the cake is baking, toss a bag of thawed (or fresh, if you’re lucky) blackberries with a drizzle of maple or honey, and let marinate in their juices until ready to serve.
Serve this deliciousness in a bowl, since the cake won’t slice all that neatly anyway and it makes a gloriously delicious mess when served with extra lemon curd, blackberries, mint leaves and a little vanilla ice cream.
Wait...are those...cookies?! 