Lemon Mousse Cake

Layer of genoise sponge topped with a zesty, tangy lemon mousse and a layer of limoncello jelly. Finished with some slices of candied lemon.

I love lemony desserts, and this is definitely one of the most deliciously sharp and sweet lemon desserts I have ever made!

I made this cake when I visited my family at the weekend and I was asked to provide dessert. I wanted to make something light and summery, and not too rich, so I thought a light lemon mousse would be perfect. To make this a bit more sophisticated I also added a layer of limoncello jelly to the top of my mousse.

Everyone loved this dessert and it was surprisingly easy to make (it just needs a lot of time to set!), so if your looking for a simple but impressive dessert,then this one is for you!

I will be bringing this along to Fiesta Friday#80 this week, hosted by the wonderful Angie. And very excitingly, my Raspberry and Mint Jam Tarts have been featured this week! Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!

Ingredients: serves 10-12

The Sponge:

• 3 eggs
• 100g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar

The Lemon Mousse:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 300ml double cream
• 8 gelatine leaves
• 4 lemons
• 150g caster sugar

The Limoncello Jelly:

• 100ml limoncello
• 2 lemons
• 100g caster sugar
• 4 leaves of gelatine

The Candied Lemons:

• 200g water
• 150g sugar
• 1 lemon

To Make:

The Sponge:

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 25cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add 80g caster sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.

Whisk together the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour into the egg whites and fold in. Then fold in the flour.

Spoon into the prepared cake tin, and level off. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and springy.

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

The Lemon Mousse:

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then whisk in the sugar until smooth and glossy.

In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon juice, zest and egg yolks. Finally, in a third bowl whisk the double cream until stiff peaks form.

Soak the gelatine in water, and then transfer to a small pan with a few tbsp of water, and heat until the gelatine completely melts.

Fold the yolk mixture, gelatine and cream into the egg whites, until the mixture is completely homogenised.

Return the sponge to the bottom of the springform cake tin, and pour the mousse over the top. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

The Limoncello Jelly:

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes.

Combine the sugar, limoncello, lemon juice and gelatine in a small pan and heat until the gelatine completely dissolves, pour over the set mousse and leave to chill in the fridge for a further 2 hours.

The Candied Lemons

Cut the lemons into around 8-10 circular slices.

Combine the sugar and water in a saute pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Place the lemons into the sugar syrup and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the syrup has reduced by about 2/3 and the lemon has turned translucent.

Transfer to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to cool.

Assembling:

Carefully remove the cake from the springform tin, and decorate with the candied lemons.

Cut into 10-12 slices and serve. Delicious with a generous glass of limoncello on the side!