I first had this gorgeous gluten free Lemon Feather Cake in a cafe in Tunbridge Wells called Juliete’s, I fell in love with it straight away and just knew that I had to bake it at home. I searched the internet for recipes and as always there were loads, there were so many different versions and I didn’t know where to start. The first recipe that I tried used cornflour and it was a disaster, it came out like a flat pancake. Then I found a recipe that uses loads of eggs and potato flour and hey presto, it worked.
This cake is truly as light as a feather, the filling is refreshing and zingy and if you take the cream out of the equation it is also fat free, so if you decide to use a low calorie cream or fat free yoghurt it could nearly be classed as a low calorie healthy cake, well nearly !!!
What is also great about it is, it is gluten free! It may not be often that you require a gluten free cake, but I have found that finding a good one can be tricky, this one is just perfect. I have tried baking with gluten free flour substitutes before, with little success, so I am really pleased to finally of found one that delivers on taste and one that I would be happy to serve to a gluten intolerant friend and not feel that I was selling them short.
It is fairly tricky to make, there are 6 eggs to separate, a lot of whisking involved and then folding without losing any of the air that you have created, but if you fancy something a little grown up and lighter than your usual sponge, I can highly recommend this cake and I feel that the taste and texture is well worth all the effort.
Buon appetito
Serves 12
For the cake :-
6 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (I used 2 lemons)
1¼ cup (250g) caster sugar
¾ cup (130g) potato flour, sifted
¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (I used 2 lemons)
icing sugar, for decorating the cake
For the filling :-
Lemon Curd – homemade or a good brought one)
1 cup (300ml) whipping cream or double cream
Preheat oven to 350 F, 175C
Line a 10-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with the lemon zest and half of the sugar for at least five minutes, or until pale and thickened. Set aside.
In a separate bowl using clean beaters (otherwise the eggs whites won’t whip up), beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
NOTE: It is very important that the egg whites are not beatean too stiffly. “Stiff but not dry” is the phrase written in many baking books. If egg whites are over-beaten, they will lose their ability to hold air when folded into a batter. I find it is better to slightly under-beat the egg whites, like so:
Sift one-third of the flour over yolk mixture and gently mix it in. Fold in half the eggs whites. Repeat steps once. Sift over and fold in remaining flour. Transfer ¼ cup of batter to a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Fold this back into the remaining batter.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on rack.
To assemble, slice the cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife.
Place the bottom layer on a cake platter or serving plate.
Using an electric hand whisk whip the cream until fairly firm, not to stiff, or it will be to difficult to spread. Stir through the lemon curd to taste.
Spread filling over the cake layer.
Cover with the top layer of cake.
Sift icing sugar over the top and serve with a nice cup of tea.
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