Best Ever Lemon Gateau

Name: Best Ever Lemon Gateau
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Butter for greasing; 2 1/2 tbsp semolina, plus extra for dusting; 6 large eggs, separated; 150 g (5oz) caster sugar; 2 large lemons; 40 g (1 1/2oz) ground almonds; 3 tbsp. plain flour; 3 gelatine leaves; 150 mL (1/4 pint) double cream

This home-made cake looks like it’s fresh from a French-style patisserie

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 22 February 2010

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Cuisine, Food, Sweetness, Finger food, Ingredient, Dessert, Baked goods, Dish, Serveware, Recipe,

Preparation Notes: plus chilling

Cooking Notes: about

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Yields:

Prep Time:

35 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

Ingredients

Butter for greasing
2 1/2 tbsp semolina, plus extra for dusting
6 large eggs, separated
150 g (5oz) caster sugar
2 large lemons
40 g (1 1/2oz) ground almonds
3 Tbsp. plain flour
3 gelatine leaves
150 ml (1/4 pint) double cream

Directions

1. Step 1
  Grease an 8cm (3¼in) deep, 20.5cm (8in) loose-bottomed round tin. Line base with baking parchment; dust sides with semolina. Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Beat 3 egg yolks, 50g (2oz) sugar and zest of one lemon for 5min. Fold in semolina, almonds and flour.
2. Step 2
  Beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Add 25g (1oz) sugar and beat for a few seconds. Fold 1tbsp into cake mix, then fold in the rest. Spoon into tin and level. Bake for 15-20min. Leave to cool in tin.
3. Step 3
  Remove sides of tin and slide cake on to a board, leaving parchment in place. Slice cake in half horizontally. Regrease and reline sides of tin with baking parchment. Put cake half with paper attached into the tin, paper-side down.
4. Step 4
  Put gelatine in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave for 5min. Heat the juice of one lemon until simmering. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, then whisk into the lemon juice. Leave to cool. Whisk remaining yolks and sugar with zest of other lemon until moussey. Fold in the gelatine mixture.
5. Step 5
  Beat remaining egg whites until stiff. Whisk cream until it just holds its shape. Fold cream into yolk mix, then fold in egg whites. Pour into tin. Cover. Chill for 2hr.
6. Step 6
  Put second cake layer over the mousse, cut-side down. Cover and chill overnight.
7. Step 7
  Turn out cake and peel off paper. Dust with icing sugar. Heat a metal skewer in a gas flame and score lines on top.

Per Serving:

Calories: 317
Total carbs: 28 g
Sugars: 20 g
Total fat: 19 g
Saturated fat: 9 g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time