This past weekend was a weekend filled with indulgences. First, and foremost comes this cake – this decadent cake with its three separate layers of goodness: a delicious brownie-like chocolate cake whose centre is scooped out and filled with tangy homemade lemon curd that is then topped with meringue icing. Can you think of a more decadent dessert? This recipe was one of my favourite finds from the 10th anniversary edition of Donna Hay‘s magazine .
I love the idea of using chocolate cake as a shell and while I did find the cake a little too sweet (I would have added much less sugar overall) the cake was a delight to make, and beautifully indulgent to look at. You can find the full recipe here – try it and let me know what you think! I will definitely be using this idea as a base for future baking experiments – I’m thinking of filling chocolate cake with raspberry coulis instead of lemon curd next time, and topping it with billowy vanilla bean whipped cream. Or how about filling the cake with bittersweet chocolate ganache and topping it with a scoop of homemade ice cream?
Here is a shot of the cake once the centre has been scooped out – and filled with the luscious lemon curd. I made a smaller cake than what the Donna Hay recipe calls for (there’s really no need to make the full amount if you’re not having family and friends over for dinner – a slice is more than enough with this treat!). I made mine in a mini-cast iron and used a round cookie cutter to make it easier to scoop out.
No matter how much I cook and how long I’ve been professionally developing recipes, I’m always looking for added inspiration. Food magazines and cookbooks are the perfect place to start. Sometimes, I’ll follow a recipe from A to Z and jot down some notes and ideas – other times, just flipping through a few of my favourite magazines is enough to get me started.
My over-stacked shelves are not always thankful for my food literature obsession but it’s really the best way I’ve found to constantly stay inspired.
Enjoy the read!
Poornima Nair
February 20, 2012 at 10:08 pm (13 years ago)Such a tempting dessert, love the second pic!
Sara
February 20, 2012 at 10:35 pm (13 years ago)OMG, what a great idea! Love the idea of combining chocolate cake with lemon meringue pie…thanks for the heads up that the cake was a little sweet, I have a great super bittersweet cake I might try with this. Awesome recipe and gorgeous photos! 🙂
Ben
February 21, 2012 at 9:02 am (13 years ago)It looks so good! That’s my kind of dessert for my kind of weekend 🙂
Linda
February 21, 2012 at 9:23 am (13 years ago)MMMMMM this looks good will try it this weekend.
Thank you!
Linda
thelittleloaf
February 21, 2012 at 9:29 am (13 years ago)I LOVE the idea of making the crust a brownie-like cake! What a gorgeous dessert, and I reckon I could probably handle the sweetness 🙂
Jennifurla
February 21, 2012 at 3:18 pm (13 years ago)This is so gorgeous, I can’t really imagine the taste but I am intrigued.
Angela Puccinelli
February 21, 2012 at 7:03 pm (13 years ago)I agree that raspberry coulis would be fantastic in place of the lemon. I bet a nice strawberry or cherry compote would be absolutely killer in this too. Definetely on my “must make” list!
charitydawn
February 21, 2012 at 8:29 pm (13 years ago)oh my god I’ve died and gone to heaven!!!
Haniela
February 22, 2012 at 9:38 pm (13 years ago)This looks awesome. I’m so happy to see this combination.
I love chocolate and lemon together.
Gorgeous photographs!
Rosita Vargas
February 22, 2012 at 10:14 pm (13 years ago)OMG …una delicia irresistible me encantamuy tentador,abrazos hugs,hugs.
Wine Dine Daily
February 25, 2012 at 2:42 pm (13 years ago)This is one gorgeous and tempting dessert! Love the flavors of chocolate and lemon together.
Patrice
February 28, 2012 at 10:44 pm (13 years ago)This just made me smile. And want to eat like 4 slices of it. What a fun, creative idea. Love it!
Chocolate Shavings
February 29, 2012 at 3:53 pm (13 years ago)Patrice: I’m glad it made you smile – it’s a deliciously indulgent cake!
Anonymous
March 1, 2012 at 10:01 am (13 years ago)I absolutely love the Lemon Meringue Chocolate Cake idea! The photos of it are mouthwatering! Thanks for sharing that- it will definitely be the next dessert I try! Especially since i have a small cast iron pan!
Chocolate Shavings
March 1, 2012 at 10:43 am (13 years ago)Anonymous: Let me know how it goes! If you don’t have an incredible sweet tooth, I would try it with a little less sugar (especially in the lemon curd!).
Alice
March 1, 2012 at 2:46 pm (13 years ago)very very Top
sarah
March 2, 2012 at 4:29 am (13 years ago)The dessert looks like a sunnyside up egg! Was there a quick and easy way to get the centre out with out destroying the rest of the brownie? It looks like a terrific individual dessert to serve guests at a brunch or something.
Chocolate Shavings
March 2, 2012 at 2:37 pm (13 years ago)sarah: The easiest way is to use a round cookie cutter that has just the right size and insert it into the centre of the cake to create the desired shape. Make sure to not insert it too deeply as you want the base of the cake to stay solid and untouched.
Remove the cookie cutter and carefully scoop out pieces of cake using a small spoon and keeping within the defined border. You can then pat down the remaining cake using the back of the spoon so it’s a smooth surface.
Hope that makes sense!
Cooking Rookie
April 5, 2012 at 12:20 am (13 years ago)This is a gorgeous cake. I am pinning it on my favorite Food Blogs board on Pinterest, as a reminder. I hope that’s ok with you 🙂
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes
May 20, 2012 at 10:55 pm (12 years ago)Lemon and chocolate are not paired much, but this cake is fantastic! The stacks of cookbooks and magazines are necessary, even if you don´t work in the food industry!
Basset Certification Illinois
July 6, 2012 at 4:15 am (12 years ago)This looks really great especially the lemon center! I love to try this one out and make it for my family.
Anonymous
September 12, 2012 at 8:01 pm (12 years ago)This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Is it easy to slice or is it fairly soft in the center? I want to make it as a birthday cake but I am worried it will turn into a puddle when we take a slice!