A few weeks ago I had an afternoon tea for some friends and wanted a special cake. This cake which is a mix of a pavlova and a cake was a hit with everyone.

The recipe is a modification of the passionfruit curd meringue cake in “Special Guest” by Annabel Crabb and Wendy Sharp.

 

Ingredients for cake

125 g unsalted butter at room temperature

330 g (1½ cups) castor sugar

4 large eggs, separated

70 g (¼ cup) Greek style yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

150 g (1 cup) plain flour, sifted

25 g cornflour

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp cream of tartar

125 ml (½ cup) thickened cream, whipped

 

Ingredients for lemon curd

125 g butter, melted

70 g egg yolks

2 whole eggs

125 g castor sugar

20 g plain flour

170 ml lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (less for a fan forced oven). Grease and line with baking paper 2 x 20 cm springform cake pans.
2. Using an electric beater, cream the butter and 110 g of the sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg yolks and beat to a smooth consistency (described in the original recipe as the texture of pale yellow shaving cream).
4. Beat in the yoghurt and vanilla paste.
5. Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together and then fold into the batter.
6. Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans.
7. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 220 g sugar and beat until the sugar has dissolved and the meringue is thick and glossy. Mix in the cream of tartar.
8. Spread half the meringue over the batter in each of the cake pans.
9. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Wash while cooking and if the meringue browns too quickly cover loosly with aluminium foil.
10. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes before carefully removing the pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. To make the curd, mix the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour and a small amount of lemon juice till smooth. Add to the butter and then the remaining lemon juice and stir to combine. Place on a medium heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat and allow to cool before using in the cake.
12. To assemble the cake, take the cake which has the least appealing meringue top to use as the base. Invert your serving plate over the base cake and turn it upright so that the meringue side of the base cake is on the bottom against the plate. Spread the base cake with the lemon curd, then top with the whipped cream. Use a cake or pizza lifter to lower the top half of the cake onto the base, curd and cream with the meringue side up.