Lemon Brûlée Cake
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 60 min
- Makes: pieces
- Cost: Low
- Note plus the resting time in the refrigerator for the shortcrust pastry and the cream
PRESENTATION
Golden color and that crunchy top make a lemon brûlée cake instantly grab attention at every family gathering—just looking at it, you can see why it's a favorite for busy weeknights and birthday parties where everyone wants that pretty, cheerful dessert on the table. Rich lemon flavor, a moist crumb, and that iconic caramelized crust bring together a mix of sweet and tangy that tastes just as amazing as it looks. You’ll pick up those zesty citrus notes from the first forkful, and the great texture keeps everyone coming back for another slice, whether you’re celebrating or just craving something sunshine-bright. Kind of surprising how even kids, who usually aren’t sure about new flavors, end up loving a homemade lemon cake—especially when you top it with ice cream or pile on the whipped cream (totally DELICIOUS for summer days or after-dinner treats). If you want a dessert that always feels special, but never out of place at any meal, this soft, bright cake checks every box.
Families with packed schedules find that an easy lemon dessert like this fits perfectly into their routines since it works really well for all ages and all occasions—morning, afternoon, or late night. You get a fluffy cake underneath the crunchy sugar layer, so there’s that irresistible combo of layers everyone likes. For added fun, give it a try as a caramelized lemon cake at your next potluck; it gets lots of "wows" for the golden look and bold lemon flavor. If you want things extra tangy, turning it into a lemon curd cake is a smart move, but it’s also fantastic as a plain old lemon cake with a brûlée topping. Really, there are endless lemon dessert ideas here: use berries for a fresh touch, go classic with a leaf or two of mint, or just stick to the reliable lemon cake with sugar crust for simple, honest flavor. Because it's so adaptable, this dessert keeps everyone at the table happy—parents, kids, guests—and usually guarantees lots of empty plates. Works every time!
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the Base
- Butter 13 ¾ tbsp (195 g) - cold
- Type 00 flour 2.6 cups (325 g)
- Sugar ⅓ cup (75 g)
- Powdered sugar 1 ½ tbsp (25 g)
- Eggs 1
- Egg yolks 2
- Fine salt 2 pinches
- For the Filling
- Lemons 6
- Eggs 8
- Fresh liquid cream 1 cup (250 g)
- Sugar 1 ¾ cup (350 g)
- For Caramelizing
- Brown sugar to taste
How to prepare Lemon Brûlée Cake
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold cubed butter, mix in the granulated and powdered sugar already combined 1, add the salt 2, and mix with the paddle attachment until you get a crumbly mixture. At this point, add the sifted flour 3 and mix for a few more seconds to combine it with the rest.
Add the whole egg and the yolks 4 (you can set aside one egg white which you will use for brushing later) and continue to work the dough; as soon as it has a less coarse consistency, transfer it to a wooden pastry board, compact the dough with your hands, trying to knead as little as possible, just enough time to absorb the dry mixture that is not yet compacted 5. Form a dough ball, flatten it slightly and wrap it in plastic wrap 6; let it rest for at least 40 minutes in the refrigerator.
After the necessary time, you can take the dough back, then place it on a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin 7. Then place another sheet of parchment paper 8 and finish rolling out the dough to form a disc about 1/4 inch thick 9.
Lightly butter a 10-inch diameter tart pan with a high bottom; remove the parchment paper covering the disc, gently roll the shortcrust pastry disc onto the rolling pin 10 and gently unroll it onto the tart pan 12, pressing the edges and bottom 12.
Trim the edges with a knife blade 13, leaving them about 1 inch high. Then prick the bottom with the prongs of a fork and place a disc of parchment paper 14 on which to position the weights for blind baking the base 15: bake the shortcrust pastry in a preheated static oven at 330°F for 40-50 minutes (310°F for about 30-40 minutes if using a fan oven).
In the meantime, focus on the cream: in a bowl, gradually pour in the eggs and sugar (three additions will be fine) 16, whisk by hand until you get a light and frothy mixture 17; grate the zest of six lemons (with the zest-free lemons, you can make fresh lemonade) 16.
Add it to the mixture 19 along with the strained juice of two lemons 20. Separately, work the fresh liquid cream with an electric mixer to achieve a "thickened" consistency (it should remain very creamy) 21;
Add it to the egg and sugar mixture 22 and mix with a whisk. Cover with contact plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm up for at least 40 minutes. When the brûlée cake base is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it cool slightly, then brush the bottom with egg white 23 and return to the oven at the same temperature for a few minutes until it dries and colors. Then remove the shortcrust pastry from the oven and pour the cream into the cake using a ladle 34, then return to the oven at 260-265°F for about 150 minutes (if using a fan oven at 340-250°F for 130 minutes). The time varies depending on how long you let the filling rest in the refrigerator; the colder it gets, the longer it will take to cook.
When the cake is browned on the surface, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly, then remove it from the pan and let it cool on a rack. Then sprinkle the surface with brown sugar 25 and flame with the torch 26. Serve the lemon brûlée cake well browned on the surface 27!