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Triple Lemon Cake - Revised

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This truly special European Style Triple Lemon Cake will have everyone asking where you got it. While elegant and stunning in appearance, it is actually easy to make. This show stopper consists of a lemon cake, lemon soaking syrup and lemon topping - easy component parts that can be made ahead and assembled when needed. 

While this is a longer than usual post, it is actually very simple and I suggest that you read the post through and look at the step by step photos.

The Triple Lemon Cake consisting of a yellow crumb coated single layer cake finished with white meringue in the middle

This cake contradicts the normal assembly of a cake.  The topping is on the outside of the French sponge cake, genoise.  The crumbs on the outside are cake crumbled in the processor.  To protect the topping from crusting over, meringue is piped on top.  

Special Note: This was originally posted when I switched formats. All of the how to pictures were lost in the process. I have added more information about the ingredients and additional photos.

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What is a Genoise Cake

While originating around 1500 in Genoa, Italy, the French named it genoise when they took it over.  French baking borrowed recipes liberally from other nations, renaming them as they went along.  Genoise has a reputation for being two things - difficult to make and dry.  Neither of which is true if you follow the directions.

Used as a foil for many fillings and finishes in French Cakes, the cake is a type of butter sponge in which whole eggs are beaten with sugar to incorporate air.  Air is the only leavening in the cake.  Processing granulated sugar will turn it into bakers sugar which is very fine, allowing it to become incorporated with the eggs much easier, better, and faster.  The eggs should be room temperature.  If you forget to take them out ahead of time, just put them in hot water while you get everything else ready.

When I wrote my first book, The New Pastry Cook, I struggled mightily with getting the melted butter folded into the batter.  Despite having a wonderful French pastry chef instruct me, my butter always ended up on the bottom of the baked cake, making a rubbery, dense,  unattractive and unwanted layer. 

What I ended up doing was to take some of the completed batter and add it to the butter.  By whisking the two vigorously, they became emulsified.  That was added back to the majority of the batter and quickly folded in.  That solved the main reason this cake was thought to be difficult.

This cake can be dry and dense if the flour is folded in too forcefully or too long.  Fold the first half of the flour in about ¾ of the way, then add the remainder.  A very light touch is needed here.  Emulsify the butter and fold it in.  

Genoise can be made months ahead, frozen, wrapped really well, and held in the freezer awaiting the final assembly.

Lemon Soaking Syrup

There are several reasons for using a soaking syrup.  The most important is to add flavor, either to intensify the main flavor or to add another dimension.  The second reason is to add moisture. 

It is added to this Triple Lemon Cake to maximize the lemon flavor.  

The Lemon Topping

If you love lemon meringue pie, you'll love this “filling”.  The lemon is intense but not biting. It is added as the top layer of the cake and on the sides as the glue to keep the crumbs in place.

The filling needs to be refrigerated, preferably overnight to firm up.

Cake Crumbs for the Finish

Using cake crumbs to finish the outside of a cake is a very “bakery” thing to do, especially since there are often cake trims or leftover cake around.  Simply tear the cake into pieces and add them to the processor.  Pulse to make crumbs.  

This works for any plain cake.  If not needed immediately, store in the freezer for later.

Swiss Meringue

While there are three basic types of meringues, I chose the Swiss meringue for this cake because I wanted a denser meringue – sort of marshmallowy.  

The egg whites and sugar are heated together in the mixing bowl and then whipped to hold peaks.  Piping or spooning them over the exposed lemon topping will prevent it from crusting over.

Alternatively, in place of the meringue, use fresh fruit as one of my readers suggested.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Three of the four component parts of this cake can be made ahead so it is ready when you are.
  • The genoise can be made ahead and frozen for months. The top can be sliced off and the genoise can be soaked.
  • The lemon topping can be made a week ahead and refrigerated.
  • The cake can be assembled the day before and held in the fridge.
  • It is not only a show stopper - it's one of the best lemon cakes you'll ever make.

Recipe Ingredients

Lemon Topping

The Lemon Topping consists of water, granulated sugar, eggs, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and butter.

FRONT ROW: Lemon juice, unsalted butter

MIDDLE ROW: Lemon zest, cornstarch, egg yolks

BACK ROW: granulated sugar, water

Genoise

Ingredients for the Genoise Cake are eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest, cake flour and unsalted butter.

FRONT ROW: Granulated Sugar, unsalted butter

BACK ROW: Lemon zest, eggs, cake flour

Lemon Soaking Syrup

Lemon juice and granulated sugar for the Lemon Soaking Syrup

Lemon juice, granulated sugar

Swiss Meringue

Ingredients for the Swiss Meringue are granulated sugar and egg whites.

Granulated Sugar, egg whites

Important Ingredient

  • Baker's Sugar is very fine granulated sugar. To make is go to my post Three Easy Sugar Fixes. This is important anytime you are dissolving sugar such as cream, meringues, or anything in general.
  • Cake Flour is used for its low protein count which adds to the softness of the cake. Since there is no sour cream, buttermilk or anything else in this cake to help soften it, I highly recommend using the cake flour.
  • Two lemons are needed as both the juice and zest are used.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients & instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Lemon Topping

The collage showing the lemon topping for the Triple Lemon cake consists of the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl, all of the ingredients except the butter in a pan, the butter added, and the finished topping.

Step 1. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Step 2. Place the water, sugar/cornstarch mixture, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and, whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. It will be very, very thick. Remove from the heat. Step 3. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Whisk it into the lemon topping. Remove it to a bowl, cover the top with film and let it come to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.

Genoise Cake

This collage shows the genoise cake being made with the eggs and sugar whipped, the flour on top of the batter, the butter emulsified and the baked genoise.

Step 5. Combine the the eggs, sugar and lemon zest to the mixing bowl.  Beat until very, very thick , almost white and the mixture falls in ribbons from the beater.  Step 6. Fold in half of the flour about ¾ of the way.  Add the remainder of the flour and fold in. Step 7. Add about 1 cup of the batter to the melted butter.  Whisk vigorously to form an emulsion. Pour the emulsion back into the main batter and fold in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing as necessary. Step 8. Bake the cake as called for. Cool it in the pan.

This collage shows the cake being released, out of the mold, turned upside down and the top sliced off.

Step 9. To release the cake, go around the inside edge with a small, flexible metal spatula.  Make sure the spatula stays to the side of the pan and not the side of the cake. Remove the side.  Step 10. After the cake is released.....Step 11. turn it upside down and place it on a cake board. Step 12. Slice about a scant ½" off the top of the cake. Set aside.

This collages shows the cake slice in the processor, processed to crumbs, the cake soaked and the lemon topping on.

Step 13 Tear the slice of cake into pieces and place it in the food processor. Step 14. Pulse until crumbs form. Step 15. Wash the cake with the lemon soak. Step 16. Remove the topping from the refrigerator and break it up with a spatula. Aggressively whisk it until it is smooth. Spread about ⅔ of the lemon topping is spread on top of the cake.

This collage shows the side of the cake coated with the lemon topping and the edge being cleaned, the crumbs being applied to the side of the cake, the top and sides coated with crumbs and a new thermometer used in the next step.

Step 17. Spread a thin layer of the reserved lemon topping on the side of the cake. Remove any that falls on the cake board or serving plate. Step 18. Edge the top of the cake within and inch or so towards the center of the cake with the cake crumbs. Apply the remainder to the side of the cake. It is easiest to make them stick by pressing them into the sides with a flat spatula. Step 19. Coat the sides evenly all around the cake. Step 20. This is a new thermometer that has a silicone stirring attachment so that you can stir the product while it is being temped. I use it for the sugar syrup in the next step. It made my life so much easier. It is an Efeng Digital Candy Thermometer Spatula and can be found in multiple places online. I am not an affiliate for this product.

Swiss Meringue

The last collage shows the swiss meringue being made with the sugar and egg whits in the mixing bowl being whisked, being stirred while heating to the correct temperature, beaten in the mixer and piped onto the cake covering the topping.

Step 21. Whisk the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a mixer or in the top of a double boiler. Step 22. Place the whisked egg whites over simmering water and stirring constantly, heat to 130°F. Step 23. Beat the meringue until very, very stiff. Step 24. Fit a pastry bag with a #8B or #9B tip and starting at the inside edge of the crumbs on top of the cake, cover the seam with the meringue. Continue on into the center. Make sure the entire top is covered so it doesn't crust over. Another option is to fill the center top with fruit. Red raspberries and blueberries would be perfect for their smaller size.

Recipe FAQS

What can be done to make a Genoise moist?

Two things. Fold the flour in quickly and gently so the beaten eggs don't fall. Secondly, make an emulsion when adding the butter by taking a small amount of the batter and add it to the cooled, melted butter. Whisk vigorusly to make an emulsion and then fold it back into the main amount of batter.

How to bake a cake with a flat top?

See my post on How to Bake a Flat Cake or Cake Pan Prep. The important thing is to prepare the pan correctly. At the bakery we sprayed the center of the pan only with a non-stick baking release, then placed a parchment round the size of the pan on top and sprayed the center of the paper only. DO NOT PREPARE THE REST OF THE PAN IN ANY WAY. No butter, no butter and flour. As the cake bakes, the sides will set first. If there is no grease on the sides of the pan, it will stick and not fall as the center of the cake gets baked. There is a deeper explanation in post. It also helps to have a balanced recipe.

Do sponge cakes use baking powder?

Technically, they do not. Sponge cakes achieve their height by beating eggs, either whole eggs, egg yolks and/or egg whites with sugar until very, very light in color and look almost cloud like. It is the air beaten in that causes the cake to rise. The tricky part is folding in the flour without knocking out the air. Some recipes include baking powder as an insurance that the cake will rise, especially for novice bakers.

Expert Tips

  • Folding the ingredients is extremely important when a recipe is leavened only by air. If the air is knocked out, the cake will be dense and dry. To fold, add the required amount of flour to the beaten egg mixture and gently plunge a rubber spatula to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop up some of the egg mixture and bring it to the top of the bowl turning it over the flour. Turn the bowl about an ⅛ of a turn and repeat until about ¾ of the flour is incorporated. Add the remainder of the flour and repeat very gently but quickly folding all of the flour in. Continue as in the directions.
  • I've noticed lately with the egg shortage, that some of the cartons have more smaller eggs than usual. If you ever have to use a different size egg, they can be easily weighed when separating. The yolk weighs 17 grams in a large egg and the white 32 grams which equals 49 grams for the egg. The remainder is the shell. We weighed all of our eggs at the bakery to ensure the correct amount.
  • Baker's sugar is key to dissolving quickly and thoroughly when beating either creaming or beating with egg whites. It can be used cup for cup (200 grams in a cup) anywhere you need granulated sugar. I have seen it in the grocery store but it is much less expensive to make it yourself by processing granulated sugar it in small batches.
This picture shows a slice of the Triple Lemon Cake with the cake on the bottom, the lemon topping and the Swiss meringue finish sitting on a gray, gold rimmed plate.

More Cakes to Enjoy

Love this Triple Lemon Cake? It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a rating. Thank you.

Triple Lemon Cake

Triple Lemon Cake

Helen S Fletcher
A show stopper of a dessert, this easy Triple Lemon Cake has make ahead component parts to be assembled when needed.  
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 58 minutes
Course Cakes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 346 kcal

Equipment

  • 9x3 cheesecake or springform pan

Ingredients

Genoise Cake

  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams or 5 ⅓ ounces)
  • Zest from 1 large lemon
  • 1 ¼ cups cake flour (155 grams)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (60 grams, or ½ stick)

Lemon Filling

  • ⅔ cup water
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar (130 grams)
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (25 grams)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter (30 grams)

Lemon Soaking Syrup

  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup sugar (200 grams)

Swiss Meringue

  • 2 egg whites from above
  • ½ cup sugar (100 grams)

Instructions
 

Genoise

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line the bottom of a 9x3” cheesecake or springform pan with parchment.
  • Spray the middle of the paper only.  Do not spray the sides.  Set aside.
  • Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
  • Add the eggs, sugar and lemon zest to the mixing bowl.  Beat until very, very thick , almost white and the mixture falls in ribbons from the beater.
  • Sift half the flour over the egg mixture and fold in about ¾ of the way.  Repeat with the remainder of the flour.
  • Add about 1 cup of the batter to the melted butter.  Whisk vigorously to form an emulsion.
  • Pour the emulsion back into the main batter and fold in.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing as necessary.
  • Bake for about 23 to 28 minutes until a tester comes out cleanly and the cake bounces back when lightly touched in the middle.
  • Cool completely in the pan.
  • To release, go around the inside edge with a small, flexible metal spatula.  Make sure the spatula stays to the side of the pan and not the side of the cake.
  • Remove the side.  Turn the cake upside down, remove the bottom and the parchment paper.  
  • Turn right side up.  If not using immediately, freeze the cake, wrap it well and then freeze for several months. Partially thaw at room temperature to use.

Lemon Topping

  • In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt.
  • Place over medium heat and, whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil for one minute.  It will be very, very thick.  Remove from the heat.
  • Add the butter and allow to melt.  Whisk into the mixture.  Remove to a bowl
  • Cover the topping with plastic wrap and chill, preferably overnight.

 Lemon Soaking Syrup

  • Combine the ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil.  Set aside. 

Triple Lemon Cake Assembly

  • If the genoise layer has been frozen, thaw it at room temperature until it is partially thawed but still firm.  This will make it easier to cut.
  • Slice about ⅛” off the top of the cake.
  • Place in the processor.  Pulse to make crumbs.  Set aside.
  • Put the cake back on the metal round from the cheesecake or springform pan.
  • Brush the soaking syrup on the cake, allowing each pass to soak in before adding more.  Use all the syrup.
  • Break up the topping with a spatula. Aggressively whisk it until smooth.
  • Apply a thin layer to the sides of the cake, making sure all of it is covered.  Spread the remainder on top of the cake.
  • Place the cake crumbs in a sheet pan. Pick the cake up in your left or right hand whichever is your preference.  Scoop up some of the crumbs and press them lightly into the lemon. Secure the crumbs by pressing them into the topping on the side of the cake gently.
  • Drop the remainder of the crumbs about an inch in from the edge of the cake.

Meringue

  • Place the whites and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water.
  • Heat to about 130°F.
  • Remove from over the water and place on the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  • Beat until very stiff and glossy.
  • Place in a piping bag fitted with a large open star (#8 or 9 B tip) and pipe the meringue onto the lemon filling starting at the edge of the crumbs and topping and work towards the center. I simply piped straight down and immediately piped again.
  • Alternatively, the meringue can be spooned on. 
  • Fill in completely to cover the topping so it can’t crust over.
  • Refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.  If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article.  Many of them will be answered there. 
As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency.  Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume.  For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted  all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.
____________________________________________
This Triple Lemon Cake is definitely best served at room temperature.  The meringue top will cut better if it has been refrigerated overnight.  Heat a knife under really hot water, dry it quickly and make a cut, letting the knife sink through the meringue, then cutting down through the cake.  Repeat for each cut.
Folding the ingredients is extremely important when a recipe is leavened only by air. If the air is knocked out, the cake will be dense and dry. To fold, add the required amount of flour to the beaten egg mixture and gently plunge a rubber spatula to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop up some of the egg mixture and bring it to the top of the bowl turning it over the flour. Turn the bowl about an ⅛ of a turn and repeat until about ¾ of the flour is incorporated. Add the remainder of the flour and repeat very gently but quickly folding all of the flour in. Continue as in the directions.
I've noticed lately with the egg shortage, that some of the cartons have more smaller eggs than usual. If you ever have to use a different size egg, they can be easily weighed when separating. The yolk weighs 17 grams in a large egg and the white 32 grams which equals 49 grams for the egg. The remainder is the shell. We weighed all of our eggs at the bakery to ensure the correct amount. 
Baker's sugar is key to dissolving quickly and thoroughly when beating either creaming or beating with egg whites. It can be used cup for cup (200 grams in a cup) anywhere you need granulated sugar. I have seen it in the grocery store but it is much less expensive to make it yourself by processing granulated sugar it in small batches. 
The cake will keep 3 days or so in the refrigerator but will cut best the next day.  
 

Nutrition

Serving: 12servingsCalories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 356IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @helensfletcher or tag #pastrieslikeapro!
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  1. Patty says

    I need to make this gluten free. What is your recipe for making cake flour?

    Reply

    • Helen S Fletcher says

      Hi Patty, I don't have one. The Lemon Strawberry Cake is naturally gluten free using almond flour.

      Reply

  2. Jan says

    Curious as I love your chocolate cake with chocolate and white chocolate mousse but I find it too sweet. I make it with dark vs semi sweet chocolate. I also love lemon but wonder if it the same? More sweet than tart? Can you comment?

    Reply

    • Helen S Fletcher says

      Hi Jan - definitely more tart than sweet but taste is subjective as you have shown. What one person says is too much sugar can be not enough for another. Maddening but true.

      Reply