Manon Lagrève

Why it earned the handshake

The cake is all contrast: dark treacle and ginger in the sponge, five lemons in the curd, candied lemon for chew, and glossy meringue to pull the whole thing into focus. The published recipe allows the sponges and curd to rest for up to three days, which is the sort of planning that keeps a showstopper from becoming a late-night negotiation with a saucepan.

Ingredients

Sponges

• 200g salted butter, room temperature
• 250g dark muscovado sugar
• 100g treacle
• 100g golden syrup
• 100g root ginger, finely grated
• 2 eggs
• 5ml ground cinnamon
• 5ml ground ginger
• 250g plain flour
• 5ml bicarbonate of soda
• 10ml baking powder
• 150ml whole milk

Lemon curd, candied lemon, and meringue

• 5 unwaxed lemons
• 2 sheets platinum-grade gelatine
• 150g caster sugar
• 100g root ginger, finely grated
• 5ml ground ginger
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 100g salted butter, diced
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 unwaxed lemons, thinly sliced
• 25g 70% dark chocolate
• Syrup from the candied lemon
• 2 egg whites

You will also need three 8-inch (20cm) round tins, a sugar thermometer, piping bag, and kitchen blowtorch.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Melt the butter, muscovado sugar, treacle, golden syrup, and grated ginger in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Cool for 2 minutes in a mixer bowl.
2. Add the eggs and ground spices. Stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder, then beat in the milk. Divide among the tins and bake for 20–25 minutes, until just firm. Turn out and cool.
3. For the curd, zest 3 lemons and juice all 5. Put the zest, juice, and gelatine in a pan and rest for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and both gingers. Beat the whole eggs and yolks together and stir them in.
4. Cook over very low heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring continuously, until thick. Do not let it scramble. Take off the heat and add the butter cube by cube. Chill for about 1 hour until softly set.
5. For the candied lemon, put 50ml water, the sugar, and sliced lemons in a pan. Boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until translucent. Strain, reserving the syrup. Dry the slices on a rack; keep 3 or 4 whole and snip the rest into small pieces.
6. Heat the reserved syrup. When it reaches 110°C, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. At 118°C, pour the syrup into the whites in a steady stream while whisking, until thick, glossy, and stiff.
7. Spread curd over one sponge, scatter half the chopped candied lemon, and add the second sponge. Repeat, then top with the third sponge upside down.
8. Reserve 90ml meringue in a piping bag. Cover the top and sides with the rest. Pipe small blobs in rows around half the top and brown them lightly with a blowtorch.
9. Melt the chocolate. Half-dip the whole candied lemon slices, chill on parchment for about 5 minutes, and set them into the meringue like little wheels.

Baker’s tips

• Keep the curd on low heat and stir all the way into the corners. Lemon curd rewards attention, not speed.
• The meringue syrup must reach temperature before it goes into the whites; a thermometer gives the glossy finish its best chance.
• Torch lightly and keep the flame moving. The aim is toasted edges, not a bonfire on the cake.

Make-ahead

The sponges and curd can be made up to three days ahead. Assemble and decorate the cake on the day you serve it, then eat within one day.