If you love summer and sun (and for us here on The Coastside, a little fog mixed in), you will be drawn to the Lemony Yellow of this Parfait!
When I made this up, I felt a little leery, as it seemed too daunting a task, with too many steps. But, though it appears to be an elaborate endeavor because of all the writing, it is actually quite simple a recipe, when tackled in an organized fashion. After all, it’s only cooking, right?
The cake I use in this recipe is one I made from scratch, but you can use any one of your favorite bought pound cakes, angel food cakes, yellow or white cakes, or no cake at all! I use regular lemons, and added blueberries and strawberries for color.
“All About Yellow Lemon Parfait”
A. Cake:
½ cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup milk
1 TBSP sour cream
1/3 cup oil
1 cup all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup cake flour
¼ tsp salt
2 ½ tsp baking powder
Preheat Oven to 350°F; Butter an 8″ round pan
1. Beat butter with sugar until creamy; add egg and vanilla, then continue to beat until creamy
2. Mix all dry ingredients, then add to #1.
3. Combine milk with sour cream, then add to wet mixture. Beat until well combined. Mixture should be smooth and slightly stiff.
4. Pour into pan, bake for about 35-40 minutes. Cool on rack.
B. Lemon Curd
Juice from 2 1/2 medium sized lemons
2 tsps lemon zest
3 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks (use the whites for later)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla + 1/2 tsp lemon extract
Combine everything in a large bowl, and whisk until blended. Pour into pot on stove at medium heat. Stir constantly until liquid slightly thickens. Turn down heat, and continue to 
stir. When liquid becomes like thin pudding, remove from heat. Pour into a medium sized container. Continue to stir to prevent lumps. Cover with plastic wrap, cool, and refrigerate.
C. Meringue
4 egg whites
1/3 cup white sugar
Set oven to 450°F. Line a cookie sheet with a lightly oiled parchment paper.
Beat whites until light creamy texture. Add sugar a little at a time, beating it in. Continue beating until egg white is slightly stiff, falling over just a bit when whisked. Place whites in 
a small plastic ziploc bag. Cut a small (5mm) whole in one end with scissors. Squeeze swirls onto baking pan. Place in oven for 2-3 minutes, or until tops are light golden in color. Remove and cool.
D. Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon white sugar
Whip cream and sugar with mixer until slightly stiff, careful not to overbeat.
Putting it all together:
In a sorbet glass, spoon a small amount of cake onto the bottom. Then, layer with cooled lemon curd, followed by whipping cream. Add another spoonful of cake, then curd, and cream. Top with meringue. Add a few slices of strawberries or some blueberries for color. (Makes 6-8 servings.)
Voila! There you have a very citrusy “All About Yellow Lemon Parfait!”
Happy Fourth of July!
