Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Frosting

My mother's birthday was a few weeks ago. I wanted to surprise her with a cake, it's not fun making your own birthday cake (well at least for most people, not me :]). I had lots of lemons in my fridge so when I found this recipe I knew I had to try it. I didn't have to make that many changes to it, which I loved. It is my most favorite cake to date!! It is just HEAVENLY! So light with a slight lemon after taste, so you don't feel like you've just had a million calories. And the best part is you haven't! There is hardly any fat in this cake, only from the two egg yolks. The frosting is by far the best frosting I have ever tasted. It is now my go to frosting for cakes, and it's fat free. Now I know I've said "fat free" so you might be thinking, "there is no way I am ever going to try this cake, it can't be good". Well let me tell you something. My dad is a butter lover. He even puts butter on top of his brownies. He has liked some of the desserts that I've made but never loved them before. After he ate this cake he said how good it was and then said it was the best dessert that I have ever made. So don't take my word for it, take his. :]

Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Frosting

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 1/3 cups kamut flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup applesauce

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice

2 cups strawberries or raspberries

1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice

Frosting

3/4 cups evaporated cane juice

2 large egg whites

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For cake:

In a measuring cup add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, then add enough rice milk to measure 1/2 cup; stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325*F. Spray 2 8-inch round cakes pans with cooking spray. Dust lightly with flour and shake out the excess. Reserve half of the strawberries, and combine the other half with 1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice and crush with a fork. Set aside

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a fork to evenly combine the ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the rice milk, applesauce, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk together eggs, egg whites and evaporated cane juice in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until it holds ribbons, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the rice milk mixture in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour the batter evenly into the pans. Bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to cool completely.

For Frosting:

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold an electric mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the evaporated cane juice, eggs whites, water , cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and beat with an electric hand mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 9 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.

To assemble the cake: Place 1 layer on a flat serving or cake plate, top side down, and spread with the crushed strawberries. Top with 3/4 cup frosting, spreading gently (I was in a hurry, so you can see by my picture that I rushed it and it wasn't so even in between the two layers) on top of the strawberries. Place the second cake layer on top, top side up, and frost he top and side of the entire cake. Decorate with the reserved strawberries. Serve and enjoy your guilt free dessert!