Lemon Meringue Arctic Pie Recipe

We love this zesty take on a retro dessert. The sweet meringue pieces offset the sharpness of lemon for a really well balanced pudding that everyone will love. The layers look really impressive, too, which makes this perfect for serving up as a dinner party dessert. Little will they know how simple it was to put together!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON MERINGUE ARCTIC PIE

Ingredients

FOR THE LEMON SPONGE:

4 large eggs

115 g caster sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

115 g self-raising flour

, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

FOR THE LEMON MERINGUE CREAM:

300 ml double cream

2 heaped tablespoons lemon curd

2 meringue nests, crushed to small pieces

T

O A

SSEMBLE:

4 tablespoons lemon curd

300 ml lemon sorbet or frozen lemon

yogurt, slightly softened

Icing sugar

, for dusting

1 meringue nest, crushed to small pieces

34 x 30 cm S

wiss roll pan, greased and

lined

20 x 12 x 9 cm loaf pan, lined with a

double layer of clingfilm

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar and lemon zest for about 5 minutes using an electric mixer until the mixture is very thick, creamy and pale.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold very gently into the egg mixture with a spatula, trying not to knock out the air.
4. Spoon the mixture into the Swiss roll pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and just firm to the touch.
5. Turn the sponge out onto a sheet of baking parchment.
6. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and leave to cool.
7. Remove the towel and lining paper.
8. Trim away the edges of the sponge using a sharp knife.
9. For the lemon meringue cream, whisk the double cream to stiff peaks then fold through the lemon curd and meringue pieces.
10. Cut out rectangles of sponge long enough to cover the base and wide sides of the loaf pan.
11. Press into the pan to line. You need the sponge to come a little way above the top on each side. There is no need to put sponge on the short narrow sides.
12. Spoon half of the meringue cream mixture into the sponge case and spread out in an even layer.
13. Spoon over two tablespoons of the lemon curd and spread into a thin layer.
14. Cut the remaining sponge into two rectangles that are the size of the base of the loaf pan.
15. Press one of the rectangles of cake into the loaf pan on top of the curd.
16. Cover the sponge with the lemon sorbet and spread it out in an even layer.
17. Cover with the remaining meringue cream and spread in an even layer. Depending on the depth of your pan, the layer may now be above the height of the pan. Do not worry as the whole cake will be wrapped in clingfilm before freezing, which will hold it together.
18. Spread over the remaining lemon curd and top with the second rectangle of sponge, pressing the overhanging sponge onto the sponge layer below.
19. Tightly wrap the cake in clingfilm and freeze for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and take off the outer clingfilm. Use the lining clingfilm to lift the cake from the pan.
20. Invert the cake so that the joins are on the bottom and place on a serving plate.
21. Bring to room temperature so that it is just soft enough to cut.
22. Dust with icing sugar, sprinkle on the crushed meringue pieces and serve immediately. This cake will store in the freezer for up to 1 month.