Lemon Meringue Cake with Summer Berries

Lemon Meringue Cake is the ultimate summer dessert to serve. This lemon swiss roll is filled with summer berries, chunks of meringue and plenty of cream. It’s bound to be a hit but it can also be turned into Eton mess cake very easily.

This recipe was first published in August 2019 and updated in June 2021 with step-by-step instructions expert tips and frequently asked questions.

[mv_video key=”goynavhriyl2iepvpjts” volume=”70″ aspectRatio=”true” title=”Sweet Treats on LittleSugarSnaps” thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/goynavhriyl2iepvpjts.jpg” doNotOptimizePlacement=”undefined” doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” sticky=”false”]

When I think of summer desserts, my mind immediately focusses on meringue-based concoctions, so I recently decided to make a lemon meringue cake in Swiss roll form.

I was inspired because meringue partners lovingly with just about any summer fruit and of course, fresh whipped cream piled high. The most famous pairing has to be the blend of strawberries, cream and meringue in the much-loved dessert Eton Mess.

But leaving aside the cream, I have fond memories of the fantastic lemon meringue pie my Mum frequently made in the summer when I was a child – it came with an enormous dome of fluffy meringue on top. I’ve never quite got over it.

And so this summery recipe, with two variations, was created.

Why This Lemon Swiss Roll is Worth Making

My lemon meringue cake is really a blend of those two classic desserts – Eton Mess and Lemon Meringue Pie – since I could not decide which one to favour and my homemade jury was not unanimous in their voting. Nestled inside of the lemon Swiss roll is:

• tangy lemon curd
• sweet chunks of meringue 
• lashings of cream
• succulent strawberries
• a handful of blueberries

This lemon meringue cake has plenty of summer vibes going on. And it can easily be turned into a straight Eton mess cake by leaving the lemon zest out, replacing the lemon curd with strawberry jam and adding a few more strawberries in place of the blueberries.

Both versions are delicious and won’t hang about for long on your dessert table.

What’s the difference between Swiss Roll & Roulade?

Whilst compiling this recipe I came across a very important question – am I making a Swiss roll or am I making a roulade? That proved to be a good question – here’s the difference between the two:

• a Swiss roll is a cylindrical cake made from a flat sponge cake (often fatless). It is usually filled with jam (and sometimes cream) and rolled up to create a spiral in the cross-section
• A roulade, however, is any dish – sweet or savoury – that has been rolled. So, technically, sushi or beef olives count as roulades

Of course, when I think of a sweet roulade, I think of rolled meringue and flourless cakes. They sound so much fancier than a Swiss roll, but in reality, a Swiss roll is also a roulade. Just not vice versa. So it seems that Swiss roll is special.

So, to be absolutely clear, this lemon meringue cake is a rather fancy Swiss roll.

Which Way Should a Swiss Roll be Rolled?

The hardest part of making a Swiss roll is trying to visualise which way to roll it up. I could never quite work this out when I was a younger baker. In truth, either way will work, but rolling from the short edge will give much more impressive spirals.

Ingredients

Note that lemon Swiss roll recipe calls for plain flour and no baking powder. The rise in the sponge is caused solely by the whipped egg whites.

Although instructions are given for making the meringue, if time is in short supply consider using store-bought meringue. Just crumble it up and scatter over the cake before re-rolling.

The sponge cake uses 3 whole eggs and one extra yolk. The additional yolk is there to add richness to the otherwise fatless sponge cake.

The spare egg white that’s left because of the extra yolk needed in the sponge cake gets used up when making the meringue drops. If, however, you are using pre-made meringue you’ll have an egg white left over. Try making a mini-batch of coconut macaroons with it. You’ll get 4 lovely little golden domes and they only take 5 minutes to put together.

Vary the fruit depending on what’s at its prime. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are all fantastic in this recipe. But if you’re making the Eton mess cake use just strawberries.

Step by Step Instructions

Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

There are 4 separate stages to making this lemon meringue cake. Here are the details.

Make the Meringue Drops

1. Whisk the egg white, using electric beaters, in a small mixing bowl until peaks form

2. Add the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, continuously beating until all of the sugar is mixed in

3. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a suitable nozzle and pipe small mounds of meringue onto a baking sheet lined with parchment (aim for ½ – ¾ cm drops)

4. Bake for around 20 minutes until they can be lifted off the parchment easily then let cool to room temperature

Make the Lemon Swiss Roll

1. Whip the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl

2. Fold sifted flour and the lemon zest in very gently, to preserve those precious air bubbles that have just been whipped in

3. Pour the batter into a Swiss roll tin that has been greased (sides and bottom) and lined (bottom only) with baking parchment. Ensure that the batter is spread evenly in the tin and reaches the corners

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and firm

Roll the Sponge Cake Up

This can be a challenge but the secret to success is preparation and working quickly. Aim to roll the cake up whilst it is still warm since you will achieve a better roll this way:

1. Before the cake comes out of the oven prepare your worktop with a sheet of baking parchment dredged with caster sugar, then, as soon as the cake is baked run a sharp knife around the edge of the baking tin to loosen the cake and swiftly invert the tin over the parchment

2. Remove the tin and peel the parchment from the cake and neatly trim the sides of the cake to remove any hard edges. This will help the cake to roll better

3. Score the cake 1.5 cm in along the short edge (see image) – do not cut all the way through. This score helps the cake roll into a tighter spiral

4. Starting at the end you have just scored, roll up the cake into a tight spiral, using the parchment to help you. Set aside to cool completely on a wire rack

Filling the Cake

1. Once cool, unroll the cake, remove the parchment and spread with lemon curd and whipped cream

2. Scatter meringue pieces and fresh fruit over the top and roll the cake back up

3. Finally, decorate as desired and eat within 24 hours. Since the sponge for this Lemon Meringue cake is fat-free it does not have a long shelf life.

Expert Tips

• For a light and airy sponge keep whisking the egg and sugar mixture until the ribbon stage is reached. This is when the batter is thick enough to leave a trail that remains visible for at least 3 seconds before it disappears back into the rest of the batter
• Cook your cake until is is just ready. It should be golden on top and bounce back when pressed lightly with a finger. Avoid over or under-baking:
  • Underbaking leads to a dense and heavy cake
  • Overbaking causes the cake to crack when rolled
• Be prepared for when the cake comes out of the oven (lay out parchment & sprinkle with sugar) then work quickly once the cake is out of the oven. It rolls up best when still quite warm
• Make sure the cake is completely cold before filling. Whipped cream will collapse if it comes into contact with warmth and the cake will be ruined
• It’s up to you whether to make your own meringue drops (recipe included) or to use store-bought meringues crumbled into pieces. Either are perfectly acceptable
• It’s tempting to be over-generous when filling this cake, but do show restraint as an overfilled cake will not re-roll well
• If your cake does crack during rolling this can be covered by piping cream over them when decorating the cake
• The recipe card includes notes on how to turn this recipe into an Eton mess cake

Frequently Asked Questions

More Summer Desserts to get Tempted by:

Have you been tempted by this lemon meringue cake? Or did you turn it into an Eton mess cake? If you make either I would love to see – just upload a snap onto on Instagram and tag #littlesugarsnaps so I can see it too. And please leave a comment and/or rating belong so I can see how you got along.

📖 Recipe