Lemon meringue cake with agar agar: stable, creamy lemon curd
For an agar agar recipe that impresses through flavour and appearance, this lemon meringue cake is ideal. Special Ingredients agar agar makes the lemon curd stable, velvety and easy to slice without sacrificing its wonderful creaminess.
Agar agar is a natural gelling agent extracted from red seaweed and widely used in modern patisserie. Unlike animal gelatine, it is entirely plant-based, odourless and tasteless, producing professional results in sweet and savoury preparations.
Here, agar agar keeps the lemon curd perfectly textured after slicing, preventing an overly liquid filling.
Why use agar agar in lemon curd?
It offers several advantages:
- Sets quickly after cooling.
- Stabilises lemon curd without making it rubbery.
- Entirely plant-based and suitable for vegetarian or vegan recipes when the other ingredients are compatible.
- More heat-resistant than animal gelatine.
- Leaves lemon’s intense flavour unchanged.
Special Ingredients agar agar is ideal for creams, jams, jellies, desserts, glazes and refined patisserie.
Lemon meringue cake with agar agar: stable, creamy lemon curd
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For an agar agar recipe that impresses through flavour and appearance, this lemon meringue cake is ideal. Special Ingredients agar agar makes the lemon curd stable, velvety and easy to slice without sacrificing its wonderful creaminess. Agar agar is a natural gelling agent extracted from red seaweed and widely used in modern patisserie. Unlike animal gelatine, it is entirely plant-based, odourless and tasteless, producing professional results in sweet and savoury preparations. Here, agar agar keeps the lemon curd perfectly textured after slicing, preventing an overly liquid filling.Why use agar agar in lemon curd?It offers several advantages:Sets quickly after cooling.Stabilises lemon curd without making it rubbery.Entirely plant-based and suitable for vegetarian or vegan recipes when the other ingredients are compatible.More heat-resistant than animal gelatine.Leaves lemon’s intense flavour unchanged.Special Ingredients agar agar is ideal for creams, jams, jellies, desserts, glazes and refined patisserie.
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
- 250 g weak flour
- 150 g butter
- 95 g icing sugar
- 30 g ground almonds
- 1 g salt
- 1 g vanilla extract
- 58 g eggs
Lemon curd
- 125 ml lemon juice
- 100 g sugar
- 80 g softened butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 g agar agar
Italian meringue
- 125 g egg whites
- 20 g dextrose
- 230 g sugar
- 50 g water
Products used in this recipe
Method
Shortcrust pastry
- Mix all the ingredients in a stand mixer.
- Once the dough forms, refrigerate for one hour.
- Roll out and line the tart tin.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 180°C.
Lemon curd
- Blend the zest with the sugar.
- Add all the other ingredients.
- Bring to the boil.
- Pour onto the baked pastry through a fine sieve.
Italian meringue
- Whip the egg whites with the dextrose in a stand mixer.
- Heat the water and sugar to 121°C.
- Pour into the stand mixer with the egg whites, set to maximum speed and beat until cool.
Assembling the tart
- Leave the lemon curd to cool on the pastry.
- Once cold, decorate with the Italian meringue.
- Place under the grill for a few minutes to caramelise the meringue.