Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 250g/9oz caster sugar
• 2 lemons
• thinly sliced and slices cut into quarters
• 350g/12oz butter
• softened
• plus extra for greasing
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 4 lemons
• zested
• plus juice of 2 lemons
• 6 free-range eggs
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 300g/10½oz self-raising flour
• 4 lemons
• zest and juice
• 110g/4oz butter
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 150g/5½oz mascarpone
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• 30g/1oz icing sugar
• ½ lemon
• juice only

Directions

• For the meringues
• preheat the oven to 65C/150F/Gas ¼ (or to the lowest setting on your oven) and line a baking tray with a silicone mat.
• Place the egg whites in a large food processor with a whisk attachment and whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• With the motor running
• gradually add the sugar until you have a glossy meringue.
• Spread the meringue very thinly over the silicone lined baking tray using a palette knife.
• Bake in the oven for 3-4 hours
• or until completely dried out (this will take less time if your oven temperature is higher than recommended).
• Remove shards of the cooked meringue from the silicone mat using a palette knife and set aside.
• For the lemon slices
• preheat the oven to 65C/150F/Gas ¼ (or to the lowest setting on your oven) and line a baking tray with a silicone mat or baking parchment.
• Put the lemon slices onto the trays and place in the oven for about three hours or until dried out.
• For the lemon cake
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a square 20cm/8in cake tin.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice.
• Slowly beat in the eggs
• one at a time
• until the mixture is well combined.
• Sift the baking powder and self-raising flour together in a bowl then fold into the cake mixture.
• Pour the cake batter into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside edge of the tin to loosen the cake. Remove the cake from the tin and set aside to cool completely on a rack.
• For the lemon curd
• place the lemon zest
• juice
• butter and sugar into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Don’t let the bowl touch the water).
• Whisk occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved then beat in the eggs and whisk until thickened and cooked through.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
• For the lemon cream
• place the mascarpone into a bowl and beat to soften.
• Pour in the double cream
• icing sugar and lemon juice.
• Whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks when the whisk is removed.
• Fold the lemon curd into the lemon cream.
• Serve slices of the cake with a spoonful of the lemon cream and decorate with shards of meringue and a couple of lemon slices.