Gluten-Free Creamy Lemon Dacquoise Cake
Ever since I decided on January 2nd this year to forgo sugar, grains, and alcohol until my birthday on March 7th, I’ve been dreaming about what kind of cake I want for my birthday.
I made a Keto cake as a trial and that is still a very heavy contender. But this cake – a dacquoise really, is one of my all-time favorites and it is still free of both grains and alcohol.
A dacquoise is made with layers of nutty meringues and some sort of filling – usually hazelnut and chocolate.
I first learned of dacquoise from an episode of Julia Child’s cooking show years ago. It was entitled Los Gatos Gateau Cake. Why Los Gatos? No idea but since I used to live in Los Gatos California – and loved it – it only makes sense that a variation of this type of cake is right up my alley.
This dacquoise combines things I love together in one delicious cake – nutty meringue and creamy lemon. And it has very few ingredients – just some organic sugar, pastured eggs, organic lemons and butter – damn, that sounds down-right healthy!
Creamy Lemon Dacquoise Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs , divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups Wholesome organic sugar , divided
- 1½ cups gluten free almond meal or very finely chopped almonds
- 2-4 lemons
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Draw three 8-inch circles on two pieces of parchment paper (2 on one piece, one on another) and place them, drawn-side down on two baking sheets.
- Separate 3 of the eggs. Beat the egg whites on medium speed in a mixer until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and raise the speed to high. Gradually add ¾ cup of sugar while the egg whites are beating. Beat in the vanilla then fold in the almond meal. Divide the meringue evenly into the three circle and spread evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool completely.
- Finely zest two of the lemons and squeeze enough juice to equal ½ cup.
- Place the egg yolks and whole egg in a medium saucepan and whisk in ¾ cup of sugar. Add the lemon zest and juice and whisk well. Place over medium heat. Switch to s wooden spoons and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 6 minutes. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and stir until fully incorporated before adding the next. When done, strain into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
- When ready to assemble, whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the lemon curd then fold in the rest.
- Place one meringue layer on a cake plate, top with one third of the lemon mixture then repeat the layers ending with the lemon. Sprinkle some sliced almonds on top and serve.
Nutrition
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I followed this recipe to the nose. The lemon mixture layer was fine but the meringue layer not so much. Once I added in the almond meal, the entire consistency of the meringue became liquidy. Baking it didn’t really help. Other dacquoise recipes don’t call for nearly as much almond meal so I think something is off here.
Hi Char,
Did you use almond meal or almond flour?