Lemon Delights

Lemon Delights are a typical dessert of the Amalfi coast, famous for their freshness and fragrance. Here is the recipe for you.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Sponge Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 120 g of sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 120 g of 00 flour
• A pinch of salt

For the lemon syrup:

• 100 ml of water
• 50 g of sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon

For the lemon cream:

• 250 ml of milk
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 egg yolks
• 75 g of sugar
• 25 g of 00 flour
• 25 g of cornstarch
• 200 ml of fresh cream

For the topping:

• 150 ml of fresh cream
• 50 g of powdered sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

1. Start with the sponge cake: whip the eggs with the sugar until you get a frothy mixture. Add the lemon zest and then gently fold in the sifted flour and salt, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
2. Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured cake pan, then bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 20 minutes. Once ready, allow the sponge cake to cool down.
3. Prepare the syrup by mixing water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small pot, and let it cool down.
4. To make the lemon cream, combine the milk with the lemon zests and vanilla bean in a pot, bringing it to a near boil. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the sifted flour and starch.
5. Remove the vanilla bean and lemon zests from the milk and pour the hot milk over the yolks, stirring continuously. Put everything back on the stove and cook until the cream thickens.
6. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover it with cling film in contact and let it cool down completely. Whip the cream and fold it gently into the cold cream.
7. Cut the sponge cake into disks and soak each disk with the lemon syrup.
8. Assemble the delights alternating layers of sponge cake and lemon cream, ending with a final layer of cream.
9. For the topping, whip the cream with the powdered sugar and grated lemon zest, and use this cream to decorate the Lemon Delights.
10. Let them rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Curiosity

Lemon Delights were created in the early 70s thanks to pastry chef Carmine Marzuillo. Every restaurant and patisserie on the coast has its own version, but all are united by the presence of the fragrant Amalfi lemon, which is the true essence of this dessert.