This beautiful lemon ice cream cake is from Amy Thielen’s new book, Company. She calls it lemon nemesis because it combines three of her personal temptations into one dessert: a salted butter-cracker bottom, lemon custard middle and swirly toasted meringue topping. It is perfect to me for so many reasons, not the least of which is the chance to whip out my trusty blow torch!
My brother and his family were visiting from Boston, so my niece and nephew got in the kitchen with me and we made a dessert worthy of the occasion. Amy’s book is all about the art of having people over to share a meal or a delicious lemony dessert. It was a hot day so making something that spent time in the freezer instead of the oven was key.
Using a blow torch for the first time is a right of passage, which I had the honor of ushering my niece into. Her dad (my little brother) watched, with a bit of amazement and probably knowing this day was inevitable at my house! Amy’s book is the perfect guide for every occasion, even a girl’s first lesson in proper meringue torching.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Amy was so kind to share the lemon ice cream cake recipe from her book. Thank you, Amy!
Video
Ingredients
Cracker Base
- 2 sleeves butter crackers like Ritz (about 7 ounces)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Lemon Filling
- 3 large eggs
- 6 large egg yolks save the whites for the meringue
- 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice from 9 to 10 lemons
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons vodka preferably lemon vodka
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into slices
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 to 3 drops lemon extract optional if you used lemon vodka
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Meringue Topping
- 6 large egg whites reserved from the filling
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- A hefty pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 drops lemon extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with a thin coating of neutral oil.
- For the base, grind the crackers to a fine dust in a food processor, or put them in a heavy plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and maple syrup in a medium bowl and mix quickly to moisten the crumbs. Scatter the crumbs across the bottom of the baking pan and gently press down, pushing them into the corners with the blade of your hand.
- Bake the cracker base until you can smell it toasting and it has turned an even shade of almond brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Fill a large saucepot with a few inches of water for a double boiler and bring it to a simmer; make sure the bottom of the mixing bowl will hover above the water, not sit in it. Combine the eggs and yolks, lemon juice, sugar, and vodka in a large metal mixing bowl and whisk immediately to prevent the yolks from clumping with the sugar, then set the bowl over the simmering water. Cook, slowly stirring with a rubber spatula in a figure eight, until the mixture thickens into a custard that holds the trail of the whisk and measures 150℉ on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, then cool the mixture over a bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally, until cool. Stir in the condensed milk and lemon extract.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream in a large bowl to soft peaks. For the creamiest custard texture, the whipped cream should be floppy, not stiff.
- Before you get to the final assembly, clear a flat, level space in your freezer to hold the baking pan so that the custard will freeze evenly.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into the lemon mixture to lighten it, then add the rest, folding it in until incorporated. Immediately pour the lemon filling into the cooled crust and spread it into the corners. Hustle the pan into the freezer to harden. After the top begins to freeze, press a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper against the surface of the filling to protect it from odors. (If planning to keep this in the freezer for any length of time, you may also want to double-wrap the pan in plastic wrap.) The lemon filling needs to freeze for at least 6 hours to be stiff enough to cut, but freezers vary. (The lemon nemesis can be prepared to this point up to 2 weeks in advance.)
- Right before serving, make the meringue topping: Combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, vinegar, salt, and lemon extract, if using, in the bowl of a stand mixer or another large metal bowl and set over a pot of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Heat gently, whisking, until the egg white mixture feels uncomfortably hot to the touch, measuring about 150o F, about 5 minutes. Attach the mixer bowl to the stand, or use a hand mixer, and whip the egg whites on medium- high until the meringue looks glossy and thick and holds stiff peaks.
- Spoon the meringue topping across the surface of the cake and smooth with an offset spatula or a pie server. If the cake has been frozen for days, transfer the cake to the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to gently thaw enough to slice.
- Just before serving, brûleé the meringue with a blowtorch.
- To serve, slice the cake into large squares. I generally divide it into 15 servings—rows of 5 divided by rows of 3—but you can serve any size you like. Lift out each piece with a pie server and transfer to serving plates. (If you have any difficulty prying the crust from the pan, pass the bottom of the pan over a hot stovetop burner to loosen the bottom crust.) If there happen to be leftovers, press a piece of plastic wrap against the cut surfaces and return to the freezer.
I can’t wait to try this — especially as it falls neatly into the category of Things I Like to Make For Company, that being something meringue-y. Usually it’s some form of Eton Mess or a Pavlova. I need to up my blowtorch game though. I’ve never had a functioning kitchen torch so I usually stick to recipes that only require baking.
I love crisps according to the season. I froze rhubarb and berries earlier in the summer so a bumble berry crisp is in the oven. Its mostly rhubarb with 1/2 cup each of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
Fave thing to make in the summer is chicken, corn on the cob & some kind of fruit grilled.
What a beautiful cake!!! My favorite recipe for dessert for company is Tiramisu or Fresh Fruit Clafoutis
I love making homemade bread (focaccia/sourdough) and an herby butter and Sarah Keifer’s pan-banging chocolate chip cookies!
A family favorite is the recipe my mother taught me for blueberry kuchen. She clipped the recipe from a women’s magazine in the 60’s. Its really a blueberry tart with a shortbread-like crust. After baking it to a jammy perfection it is topped with fresh blueberries for a double blueberry whammy.
This recipe looks amazing! I’m going to try it for sure! Whenever I have friends coming over for dinner I make a pavlova! That recipe from your book has a special place in my heart!
My go to dessert for company is always pie. My favorites are French silk, apple crumb and lemon meringue. I will definitely be making this desert for my next get-together.
For company, I usually am known for dessert. This past summer it was all about blueberries. Blueberry shortbread crumb warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
I love to make a chocolate layered dessert, but it’s delicious when we change it to lemon!
I frequently make salmon with mustard dill sauce with baby red potatoes and a vegetable in season. I usually make a fruit crisp because it is easy and always good with ice cream.
Wow – love this Lemon Nemesis recipe and that it’s such a great make-ahead dessert! Will probably also try it with shortbread an alternative option, too.
One of my (many) favorites are the Olive Oil Cookies with Blood Orange Glaze (you posted these in Feb ’21 – loved the video with Henri!). They’ve been devoured by even the most conservative of palettes that aren’t typically swayed from the standards. The OO flavor imparts a depth of flavor that balances beautifully with the sweetened citrus of choice. Even though the dough can be persnickity, a little patience makes them just delightful, whether as dessert or as a treat with coffee or tea.
This looks delicious! I bake anything chocolate! Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake was the most recent dessert I made, but I may be persuaded to serve something lemon with this recipe!
Blueberry and rhubarb galette is always a favorite dessert to make and always a hit.
In fall I like to make a chocolate chip pumpkin Bundt cake. But the lemon ice cream cake is now marked as my proposed birthday cake. Thank you!
I often will make my moms lasagna recipe with her from scratch tomato sauce! I’ve also often made your cinnamon braid with jam and it’s always loved
For company, I like to make either a quiche or a pecan tart.
My favorite dessert is a Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake, which I always brought to my high school Science Department as a special treat when we teachers were particularly stressed out. Perked everybody up and brought us all together between classes. I recently retired and this is one of my fondest memories!
This looks great Zoe, but could you remove the lemon cake from the freezer to the fridge in the morning and add the meringue topping, and then just brulee before serving. I can’t see having the time to make and pipe the meringue on at the last minute in the middle of a dinner party.
My favorite recipe for company is actual a meat marinade! It’s so easy and versatile. Goes with chicken, pork and beef. If it’s casual company, I’ll use chicken and use flank steak if it is a more special event. For desserts, I usually experiment with something new each time. I love anything lemon so this ice cream cake would be a perfect addition. The only thing I make on the regular are cookies and brownies!
My favorite company-is-coming-over dessert is my version of chocolate chip cookies, which are a family/friend favorite. I always make enough to send some home with everyone!
For company I always make croissants and a frozen lemon mousse to accompany anything I decide to make for dinner.
Recipe looks delicious and I cannot wait to try it.
Right now my favorite is your pavlova with berries and cream. I don’t remember the exact name, however I do know my family devoured it in 15 minutes. On another note your chocolate chip cookies are in huge demand from my grandteenagers.
It’s hard to pick just one recipe but I make a mean Spaghetti and Meat Sauce that I learned to make in Italy. Everyone requests that when they come to visit. I also make it with meatballs!
Lemon nemesis—looks delicious. I’ll have to buy a blow torch
Pavlova is my go-to for company. They look pretty impressive and my technique gets better with every guest visit!
When we have company over what I serve depends on the season. In the autumn it’s usually something apple, such as French Apple Pie with cinnamon ice cream or Apple Dessert Cake with caramel sauce. In the winter especially around Christmas it’s likely Cranberry Cake with brown butter sauce. Spring and summer are about whatever is in season; Rhubarb tart, pie, or dumplings. Strawberry shortcake, or Fresh berry pie. Then when peaches are at their peak it’s Grilled Peaches with vanilla Mascarpone and Salted Caramel Butter Sauce. Now my mouth is watering and my stomach is growling!!