The Lemon Cloud mousse cake, made with a lemon mousse, is a dessert with a subtly tangy and refreshing taste. Resting on a soft sponge cake and a layer of praline crunch, this revamped bavarois has generated considerable enthusiasm on the culinary blogosphere.
Topped with an airy meringue, this lemon bavarois is light, melting and divinely exquisite. This is a simple recipe to try out for a snack or birthday cake.
lemon meringue cloud mousse cake
I’ve been making this lemon Bavarois for years, but I recently added an Italian meringue to follow the trend of “maman pâtisse’s lemon cloud mousse cake.” The Italian meringue adds an airy and voluptuous texture that enhances the indulgence of this dessert.
It’s light, fresh, and easy to make, making it the ideal dessert for a stress-free evening. I often serve it to my family and guests and it is always much appreciated. If you like lemon meringue pie, you’ll love this refreshing bavarois too.
It is often believed that Bavarois are made from a dense Bavarian mousse, thickened excessively with gelatin. However, the texture simply depends on the proportions used and the method of preparing the Bavarian cream.
If you follow my tips, you can achieve the desired texture, whether more or less mousse-like. You will be able to create a soft and delicious lemon mousse.
Composition
Table of Contents
A sponge cake
I used a génoise for the base biscuit. I baked it on a baking sheet to control its thickness. Then cut it with the ring used for the final assembly. Depending on your preference, you can make it thicker or thinner.
A praline crunch
As I love the combination of lemon and praline, I spread a thin layer of praline crunch over the sponge cake.
Lemon Bavarian cream
If this is the first time you’ve made a Bavarian cream, If this is your first time making a bavarois cream, don’t worry; it’s really very simple. It consists of a crème anglaise set with gelatin, to which you add softly to firmly whipped cream. Normally, a crème anglaise doesn’t contain starch (cornstarch); it’s made just with milk/cream, sugar, and egg yolks.
I’ve added cornstarch to make it more velvety, but you can omit it if you prefer. The texture of the whipped cream and the amount of gelatin will define the final texture of the bavarois mousse. I recommend whipping the cream fairly firm.
Italian meringue
It adds sweetness to this dessert and reminds us of lemon tart.
Red fruit, cherries and raspberries and a few lemon zests
For added indulgence and freshness, I garnished it with fresh raspberries and cherries, and a few lemon zests on the meringue. It’s really very good! You will need no more than an hour to make this dessert.
What You’ll Love About the Lemon Cloud Cake
- Light and fluffy texture that melts in your mouth
- Refreshing and lemony flavor
- Perfect pairing with sponge cake or the base biscuit
- Crunchy praline layer
- Adds a refreshing touch to dessert
- Simple and quick to prepare
- Ingredients that are easy to find
Lemon mousse ingredients
Preparation steps :
NB: Find the detailed recipe with ingredients in the printable recipe card below..
1. Start by preparing the sponge cake, making sure to whip the eggs and sugar well, then gently fold in the sifted flour with a spatula.
2. Spread the batter on a baking sheet and bake for about ten minutes.
3. Cut the sponge cake to the size of a 24 cm pastry ring. Then prepare the praline crunch and spread it on the sponge cake within the ring. Let it harden in the refrigerator. You can prepare these steps a few days before the final assembly by freezing everything.
4. Prepare the lemon mousse. You will make a custard with gelatin and let it cool (without setting).
| Custard with gelatin + whipped cream = Bavarian cream |
Cool it quickly by stirring frequently or placing the bowl over an ice bath.
5. Whip the chilled cream until it’s fairly firm (not too stiff) and gradually fold in the custard in three additions. Use a spatula and mix gently from bottom to top.
6. Remove the ring with the genoise and praline crunch from the refrigerator and pour this mousse over it. Lightly shake the dish containing the ring to smooth out the mousse. Let it set slightly before placing it in the freezer overnight.
7. The next day, prepare the Italian meringue before taking the lemon cloud mousse cake out of the freezer. Prepare a sugar syrup heated to 118°C (245°F). When it reaches around 100°C ( 212°F), start whisking the egg whites. You can tighten them with a bit of sugar, but it’s optional.
Pour the syrup in a thin stream into the whites, between the side of the bowl and the whisk of the mixer. Once all the syrup is incorporated, whisk at full speed until the bowl is cool or slightly warm. The meringue should become dense and shiny.
8. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice. The 1M and 2D tips from Wilton are great options. Decorate the lemon mousse according to your preference.
9. Optionally, brown the meringue using a kitchen torch.
10. Garnish with a few red fruits and lemon zest.
The recipe on video
Tips for Success with Lemon Cloud Cake
Making Lemon Cloud mousse cake is not complicated, but it’s important to follow the recipe tips carefully to achieve success with the lemon Bavarian cream and the meringue.
In many recipes, you might see whipped cream being added to the custard (crème anglaise) rather than the other way around, which I do in this recipe.
While you can do it this way, the custard should be slightly thickened for the whipped cream to incorporate easily without forming lumps.
I prefer adding the custard to the whipped cream, keeping the custard quite liquid. This prevents lumps and eliminates the need to whisk the mousse.
For desserts like entremets or charlottes cake, I let the custard cool further. I incorporate it into the whipped cream when it’s smooth and creamy. This results in a light, airy mousse with good structure. You can see this method in the Bavarian cream recipe.
Lemon Cloud Mousse cake (lemon bavarois)
Matériel :
Ingredients :
- For a Bavarois cake measuring 24 cm in diameter and 5 cm in height ( 9.5 x 2 inches )
Sponge Cake
- For a 24 cm disk ( 9.5 inches )
- 2 eggs
- 60 g sugar (2.12 oz)
- 60 g flour (2.12 oz)
Praline Crunch
- 100 g praline (3.53 oz)
- 47 g feuilletine or crushed crêpes gavotte (1.66 oz)
- 34 g milk chocolate (1.20 oz)
Lemon Bavarian Cream
- 6 egg yolks
- 180 g granulated sugar (6.35 oz)
- 40 g cornstarch (1.41 oz)
- 300 ml milk (10.14 fl oz)
- Zest of one lemon
- 100 ml lemon juice (3.38 fl oz)
- 6 sheets of gelatin 2 g per sheet for 200 blooms or 3 g per sheet for 150 blooms
- 400 ml heavy cream >30% fat (13.52 fl oz)
Italian Meringue
- 60 g egg whites from 2 small eggs (2.12 oz)
- 20 g sugar for stiffening egg whites (0.71 oz)
- 100 g sugar for syrup (3.53 oz)
- 30 ml water ( 1.fl oz )
Instructions :
Sponge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a double boiler off the heat. The mixture should be slightly warm and triple in volume.
- Gently fold in the flour using a spatula.
- Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and spread it onto a greased baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The sponge should remain soft and be lightly golden.
- Turn it over onto a towel, remove the parchment paper, and cover it with the towel. Let it cool until ready to use.
- Cut the sponge to fit the 24 cm (9.5 inches) ring. Place the ring on a flat baking sheet and line the inside with a strip of acetate (rhodoid). This will make unmolding easier (you can see this in the video).
- Place the sponge inside the ring and spread the praline crisp over it, which you will prepare below.
Praline Crunch
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and add the praline. Mix well to liquefy.
- Off the heat, add the feuilletine and mix thoroughly.
- Immediately spread it over the sponge cake.
- Place in the refrigerator or freezer to harden. You can prepare the sponge and praline crisp the day before or even several days in advance and keep them in the freezer.
Lemon Bavarois
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. If using powdered gelatin, rehydrate it in 6 times its weight in water and let it swell in the refrigerator.
- Whiten the egg yolks and sugar together to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the cornstarch and the zest of one lemon. Mix well.
- Bring the milk to a boil.
- Pour it over the blanched mixture in two additions while whisking to mix and obtain a homogeneous preparation.
- Transfer everything back to the saucepan.
- Heat over low heat to thicken the custard. Stir continuously in a figure-eight motion with a spatula until the custard coats the spatula well.
- If you run your finger over it, it should leave a clear line. If you have a thermometer, remove the custard at 83-84°C (181-183°F). Be careful not to let the custard boil.
- If you are afraid the custard will curdle and become grainy, remove it from the heat several times while stirring constantly or cook it in a double boiler.
- Off the heat, add the drained gelatin and mix well. Add the lemon juice, mix, and then strain through a sieve to remove the lemon zest and any residue.
- Cool quickly, stirring occasionally. You can speed up cooling by placing the bowl on a container with ice cubes.
- Let cool to 30°C (86°F) before incorporating the whipped cream. If you don't have a thermometer, it's fine; just let the custard cool well without letting it set. It should still be liquid to mix easily with the cream.
- Whip the cold cream until quite firm but not too stiff.
- Incorporate the custard into the whipped cream in three additions, mixing with a spatula from bottom to top. In many recipes, you can see the whipped cream added to the custard. (See note below)
- Take the ring with the sponge and praline crisp and pour the lemon bavarois into it.
- Gently shake the ring to smooth the mousse.
- Let it set a bit on the work surface, then place it in the freezer until the next day. The next day, prepare the Italian meringue.
Italian Meringue
- Place the water in a saucepan and add the sugar. You can stir to help dissolve the sugar, but be careful not to splash any onto the sides of the pan. If any sugar does get on the sides, use a damp brush to clean it off.
- Throughout the syrup cooking process, keep a damp brush handy and clean it after each use. Any sugar splashes should be cleaned immediately to prevent burning.
- Place the thermometer probe in the mixture and heat over medium heat.
- Place the egg whites in the stand mixer bowl. Start whipping them when the syrup reaches 70°C (158°F).
- If using an electric hand mixer, start beating the egg whites when the syrup reaches 90-100°C (194-212°F).
- Beat at speed 8 on the KitchenAid. When the whites start to foam, lower the mixer speed, add half the sugar, and increase the speed to 6. The KitchenAid mixer goes up to speed 10.
- Once the whites are half-whipped, white, and starting to look like shaving foam, lower the mixer speed and add the remaining sugar to stiffen them.
- Continue beating at medium speed to keep the whites like shaving foam while the syrup reaches 118-119°C (244-246°F).
- Remove the syrup from the heat at 118°C (244°F) and let it sit for a few seconds to cool slightly (optional).
- Pour the cooked sugar syrup in a thin stream over the egg whites, between the bowl's side and the whisk.
- Once all the syrup is added, let the mixer run for a few seconds to distribute the heat throughout the meringue, then increase the speed to maximum.
- Whip at full speed until the meringue is completely cooled or just slightly warm. The bowl should feel cool to the touch. The meringue will become dense and shiny.
- Place the meringue in a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice and use immediately. I used the Wilton 1M nozzle, which is excellent. The Wilton 2D nozzle is also great. These two nozzles create beautiful roses and rosettes.
Decoration
- Remove the lemon cloud from the freezer, take it out of the ring mold, and place it on a serving dish or a gold cake board. Remove the acetate strip and pipe the Italian meringue on top.
- Toast the meringue with a blowtorch or leave it white.
- Decorate with raspberries, cherries, and a few lemon zest curls made with a peeler.
- Let it thaw in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours and serve.
Notes
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easy recipe, egg whites, fruit, Dessert , Entremets, cakes