Luscious lemon cloud on a plate,
that's what this is.
Rose's Lemon Icebox Cake
is lighter than air,
what I call
a
Bridge Lady Dessert.
Growing up
my brother and I
were witness
to our mom's
bridge groups
trying to outdo
each other
when it came to desserts.
We were the happy
recipients
of leftovers.
Start with an angel food cake.
Rose's angel food cakes are divine.
They are perfectly sweetened
and light as a feather.
This is not one of her's!
It was either a store bought
cake or no icebox cake.
Humidity was up
and
it was an exhausting week.
I would have had
a nervous breakdown
had
it fallen out of the pan
in a splat.
The ethereal filling
takes a lot of lemon zest.
I detest
making lemon zest.
Is that a haiku?
I had been eyeing this bag
of pink lemons at Trader Joe's.
It reminds me of a grapefruit.
Lemon curd requires loads of patience
but is so worth it.
Italian meringue requires a stiff drink
or at least steadying one's nerves
and taking the sugar syrup head on.
Folded together with whipped cream
and
the lemon curd,
well, I could easily have stopped right there.
I was honestly shocked how delicious
this concoction is.
Slicing a top and bottom ring
off the trimmed cake,
the rest is cut or torn into pieces.
The humidity was already
starting to cause
the cake to moisten
so I had to tear it apart.
Layered with the filling
and packed in the frig
for twelve hours.
Twelve hours?!
It was a very long twelve hours.
Plain
With Rose's wonderful
raspberry sauce.
This recipe
is an
absolute winner.
~
by
Rose Levy Beranbaum