I have a friend. Her name is Lefkothea. Lefkothea was a sea divinity who saved Odysseus when he capsized close to the island of Phaeacians, his last destination before home.
I know Lefkothea, my friend, since 1979. I was 10 years old when we moved to a new home and I went to a new school. And there I met her. We were at the sixth grade of elementary school and we continued to be friends and colleagues up to the end of high school. I know her for 33 years and I consider her to be one of the most honest, straight forward and kind persons I have ever met. We are different in many aspects of our lives, but alike in so many others.
Anyway, now she is married just like me, she has a son just like me and she likes to cook just like me. Couple of months ago we went at her place and she served us a beautiful dinner, but what has won our hearts and especially my husband’s was the dessert.
Of course I asked the recipe and of course she gave it to me. This torte comes from a family recipe. Her mother makes it and has given it to my friend and she in turn gave it to me. She has given me another one for another great dessert, but I will post that one a little later. Anyway, as I said, I wanted to make something non-chocolate to please my husband plus I wanted to tell you about my friend. The torte is delicious and I encourage you to try it, if you like the lemon taste in your sweets. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients and instructions, I wanted to be as thorough as possible. It certainly needs time to prepare, but it is not difficult at all. I did it in two days. The first day I did the cake and the cream and the second day I did the syrup and the assembly! Let’s go and make it then.
Lemon Torte di Lefkothea
Ingredients
For the cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
Zest of one lemon
1 hipping tsp baking powder
For the cream
1 can evaporated milk
1 can water
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest from one lemon
1 tbsp butter (I used margarine)
3 tbsp flour
4 tbsp corn flour
1 cup sugar
For the syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tbsp white rum (but you can add whatever you like)
For the decoration
2 X 200gr./7 oz. heavy cream
4 tbsp caster sugar
M&M’s or whatever you want to give color
Instructions
For the cake
Beat the egg whites until they become meringue.
Add to it the sugar, the egg yolks, the flour with the baking powder and the lemon zest.
Pour the batter to a round pan about 29 cm/11 to 12 inches.
Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C/345° F for about 30 minutes at the lowest rack of the oven.
When it cools, take dental floss (yes, yes, you saw it right, dental floss with no flavor) and cut the cake in two equally heighted pieces.
For the cream
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale.
Throw the flour and the corn flour dissolved in 3 tbsp of the cold milk.
Place the rest of the milk along with the water in a pot. When it gets hot, but not bubbly, throw the egg batter and whisk until it starts to thicken.
Just before removing it from the fire, throw the lemon zest and immediately after removing from fire, pour the vanilla extract and the butter.
For the syrup
In a pot throw the sugar and the water.
Boil for about 5 minutes and remove it from fire.
Pour the liquor
Assembly
Take a platter big enough to put your torte.
Take one of the cake pieces and place it on the platter.
Brush it with half of the syrup quantity.
Pour half of the cream and spread it evenly.
Place the second piece of cake.
Brush it with the rest of the syrup.
Pour the rest of the cream.
Refrigerate until it stabilizes.
I decorated it on top and on the sides with 2 X 200 gr. /7 oz. of heavy cream whipped with 4 tbsp of sugar as Chantilly. But you can decorate it as you like!
Note: If you want the cream to be more than the cake layers then just double the quantity!
I am sending this to Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen and to Around My Kitchen Table and Sugar Me Up hosted by Wendy!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 hipping tsp baking powder
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can water
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest from one lemon
- 1 tbsp butter (I used margarine)
- 3 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp corn flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp white rum (but you can add whatever you like)
- 2 X 200gr. /7 oz. heavy cream
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- M&M’s or whatever you want to give color
- Beat the egg whites until they become meringue.
- Add to it the sugar, the egg yolks, the flour with the baking powder and the lemon zest.
- Pour the batter to a round pan about 29 cm/11 to 12 inches.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C/345° F for about 30 minutes at the lowest rack of the oven.
- When it cools, take dental floss (yes, yes, you saw it right, dental floss with no flavor) and cut the cake in two equally heighted pieces.
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale.
- Throw the flour and the corn flour dissolved in 3 tbsp of the cold milk.
- Place the rest of the milk along with the water in a pot. When it gets hot, but not bubbly, throw the egg batter and whisk until it starts to thicken.
- Just before removing it from the fire, throw the lemon zest and immediately after removing from fire, pour the vanilla extract and the butter.
- Remove from fire and let cool or put it in the fridge making sure you place a cling film on top so it doesn't form a skin.
- If you place it in the fridge when it is time to spread it on top of the cake, whisk it to become fluffy.
- In a pot throw the sugar and the water.
- Boil for about 5 minutes and remove it from fire.
- Pour the liquor
- Take a platter big enough to put your torte.
- Take one of the cake pieces and place it on the platter.
- Brush it with half of the syrup quantity.
- Pour half of the cream and spread it evenly.
- Place the second piece of cake.
- Brush it with the rest of the syrup.
- Pour the rest of the cream.
- Refrigerate until it stabilizes.
- I decorated it on top and on the sides with 2 X 200 gr. /7 oz. of heavy cream whipped with 4 tbsp of sugar as Chantilly. But you can decorate it as you like!
- 1 φλ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- ¾ φλ. ζάχαρη
- 4 αυγά
- Ξύσμα από ένα λεμόνι
- 1 γεμάτο κ.γ. μπέικινγκ πάουντερ
- 1 κουτί συμπυκνωμένο γάλα
- 1 κουτί νερό
- 4 κρόκοι αυγών
- 1 κ.γ. εκχύλισμα βανίλιας
- Ξύσμα από ένα λεμόνι
- βούτυρο 1 κ.γ. (χρησιμοποίησα μαργαρίνη)
- 3 κ.σ. αλεύρι
- 4 κ.σ. κορν φλάουρ
- 1 φλ. ζάχαρη
- ½ φλ. ζάχαρη
- ½ φλ. νερό
- 1 κ.σ. λευκό ρούμι (αλλά μπορείτε να προσθέσετε ό, τι σας αρέσει)
- 400 γρ.. κρέμα γάλακτος
- 4 κ.σ. ζάχαρη άχνη
- M & M του ή οτιδήποτε άλλο θέλετε για να δώσετε χρώμα
- Χτυπήστε τα ασπράδια των αυγών μέχρι να γίνουν μαρέγκα.
- Προσθέστε τη ζάχαρη, τους κρόκους αυγού, το αλεύρι με το baking powder και το ξύσμα λεμονιού.
- Βάλτε το μείγμα σε ένα ταψί περίπου 29 cm.
- Ψήστε σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο στους 175 ° C για 30 λεπτά περίπου στο χαμηλό επίπεδο του φούρνου.
- Βγάλτε το και αφήστε το να κρυώσει.
- Όταν κρυώσει με ένα οδοντικό νήμα (ναι, ναι, είδατε σωστά, οδοντικό νήμα χωρίς καμία γεύση) κόψτε την τούρτα σε δύο ίσους δίσκους.
- Χτυπήστε τους κρόκους με τη ζάχαρη μέχρι να αφρατέψουν.
- Ρίξτε το αλεύρι και το κορν φλάουρ διαλυμένο σε 3 κ.σ. κρύο γάλα.
- Βαλτε το υπόλοιπο το γάλα μαζί με το νερό σε μία κατσαρόλα.
- Όταν ζεσταθεί, αλλά δεν βράζει ακόμα, ρίξτε το μείγμα αυγού και ανακατέψτε γρήγορα μέχρι να αρχίσει να πήζει.
- Λίγο πριν το βγάλετε από τη φωτιά, ρίξτε το ξύσμα λεμονιού και μόλις το βγάλετε από την φωτιά, ρίξτε το εκχύλισμα βανίλιας και το βούτυρο.
- Αφήστε τη να κρυώσει ή βάλτε τη στο ψυγείο ρίχνοντας ακριβώς από πάνω από την κρέμα πλαστική μεμβράνη για να μην κάνει κρούστα.
- Πριν την απλώσετε ανακατέψτε τη για να αφρατέψει.
- Σε ένα κατσαρολάκι ρίξτε τη ζάχαρη και το νερό.
- Βράστε επί 5 λεπτά περίπου και αποσύρετε από φωτιά.
- Ρίξτε το λικέρ.
- Πάρτε μια πιατέλα μεγάλη ώστε να χωράει την τούρτα.
- Πάρτε τον ένα δίσκο από το παντεσπάνι και βάλτε το στην πιατέλα.
- Με ένα πινέλο αλείψτε το με το μισό της ποσότητας του σιροπιού.
- Απλώστε τη μισή από την κρέμα και στρώστε τη ομοιόμορφα.
- Τοποθετήστε το δεύτερο κομμάτι από το παντεσπάνι.
- Με το πινέλο αλείψτε το με το υπόλοιπο της ποσότητας του σιροπιού.
- Απλώστε από πάνω την υπόλοιπη ποσότητα κρέμας.
- Βάλτε στο ψυγείο μέχρι να σταθεροποιηθεί.