Lemon Cream Cheese Whipped Cream– 226g or 1 brick cream cheese at room temperature– 50g or ¼ cup granulated sugar– 30g or ¼ cup powdered sugar– 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste– ¼ tsp fine sea salt– Zest of 1 large lemon– 600g or 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold straight from the fridge– Lemon Curd half of this recipe– Fresh Strawberries 0.5-1 lb– Shortbread Cookies about 12Optional: Meringue– 3 egg white– 155g or ¾ cups sugar– 1 tsp vanilla– Pinch fine sea salt
INGREDIENTS
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INSTRUCTION
Before making lemon curd, chill overnight. Pre-soften cream cheese 1-2 hours before use. Start with thin strawberry slices. Attach a ring to a parchment-lined springform pan.
STEP 1 .
Food processor everything except heavy cream. Scrub 30 seconds. Add heavy cream, scrape bowl, and thicken on high for 60 seconds. Finish when a finger or spoon holds shape.
STEP 2.
Place ⅓ of the whipped cream on the pan bottom. Closely space six shortbread cookies on top. To fill gaps, break some. Apply ⅓ cup lemon curd to cookies.
STEP 3.
Place strawberries close together on curd. Repeat these steps. Last layer: whipping cream third. Soften cookies by refrigerating cake for 4 hours. Possible overnight refrigeration.
STEP 4.
Simmer a third-full pan of water. Sugar and egg whites in a pan-safe bowl. Whisk well in simmering water. Whisk and scrape edges with a rubber spatula while cooking.
STEP 5.
Heat dissolves sugar granules. Pinch the mix and find no sugar granules. Transfer it to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Kitchenaid speed 6 whisk low, then medium.
STEP 6.
Stir in salt and vanilla when thickened. At 6 minutes, meringue should hold shape and whisk can be turned upside down.
STEP 7.
Meringues coat chilled cake. Torch everything. Serve immediately or refrigerate icingbox cake for several hours (meringue separates).