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 love making lasagna when company comes over so I’m not busy in the kitchen when guests are over. For dessert, no bake cheesecake or brownies are my go to! I HAVE to try this lemon nemesis recipe asap. Looks unreal!
Southern Banana Pudding w/ Swiss Meringue!! Thanks for the chance.
Hi Zoe,
My favorite cake recipes have to do with lemon or lemon and coconut. Those are my go to cakes I love love your book and have tried several things and they’re all delicious.
I like to make Flan, but I am known for my banana nut bread. Everybody’s favorite.
For our company, it always means homemade pasta. My mother would do ravioli and I would the same or lasagna with homemade spinach pasta. We do lots of very thin layers of pasta between mixed cheeses and spinach and herbs.
The lemon dessert you wrote about today is just what I am looking for. We have a few lemon trees and they are loaded with fruit which is not quite ripe yet. I am looking forward to trying the “lemon nemesis”. Don’t you just love that name?
Always enjoy Brookes lovely food photos.
Living at the beach with a rotation of overnight guests – my favorite thing to make for company is breakfast! This summer I’ve really been into Dutch babies. I’ve made strawberry, blueberry, peach and blackberry. Always with lots of fluffy whipped cream.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!! I love to make a peach/cranberries salad when we have company.
Ahhhh this look’s amaizing I like to make Tiramisu and Marrocan orange cake and many more depending on the season . I love zoebakes it inspires me ❤️ Thank You
My “go to” recipes to make for company as well as to take for any get together are Sriracha Hummus and the Salted Chocolate Chip cookies from Deb Perlman. This cookbook looks perfect for hosting ideas!
My go to favorite is a chocolate pudding, brownie, whipped cream and heath bar crunch trifle.
I love to make coconut cupcakes, cranberry upside-down cake, and chicken potpie when friends come over. Also, Lipton French onion dip + Ruffles!
I really miss when Amy had a show on TV. She was so down to earth, relatable and I loved seeing her cabin. It depends how much time I have on whether I make a tried and true dessert for company. Lately, I’ve been making lots of new recipes and going outside my comfort zone. I love to bake so I never know what might strike my fancy on any given day.
Hi Zoe! I love making bread pudding like my grandmother made with rum sauce!
Thanks for all your recipes and ideas!
My family favorite request is usually a cheesecake (lots of flavor choices there), or chocolate zucchini cake! The perfect finish to a meal of BBQ tenderloin and zucchini from the garden. There are so many recipes from Zoe on my list to try, but there are at least a dozen favorites, from the ones I’ve already baked (Chocolate Chip Cookies always make the do again vote)!
When we have company a crowd pleaser in Asian style chicken thighs with fresh green beans and coconut rice – so delicious.
My favorite for supper is a chicken salsa verde dish. It is quick, easy, healthy, and tasty. I serve it with rice or dumplings. I would love to win this book. Thanks for sharing the wonderful lemon recipe! I am excited to try it.
Thanks for the giveaway!
My family and guests love when I make peach dumplings in the summer. There is something magical about a ripe, sweet peach mixed with brown sugar and flaky pastry.
Congratulations on being one of our winners, Megan! Enjoy the cookbook!
My favorite savory dish is parmesan soufflé. Everyone loves it!
I’m not a great dessert maker but I make decent chocolate chip cookies. Although my brother in law loves lemon desserts and this one looks delicious!
I love to serve pecan pie in the winter and a meringue pie with lemon filling in the summer…I Love Your Show!!!!
This lemon nemesis looks dreamy and perfect for a summer day! I love making King Arthur Baking’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. It’s a rich, decadent chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache glaze. An easy to make dessert that be made and served same day. I love using a good chocolate for this cake such a Guittard. It’s always a crowd pleasing dessert. And you can certainly serve it alongside with fresh raspberries or sweetened whipped cream.
So much to love when serving family and friends. I love setting out homemade and boughten goodies and have a smorgasbord of fixins for ice cream. It brings out the kid in everybody.
I love to bake so anytime I get the chance to share a decadent dessert with friends I will. My favorite to bake in the fall is Martha’s Raven’s-Nest layer cake. It’s delicious and impressive too! I’m definitely going to try this Lemon Nemesis recipe.
Hi Zoe, when I have company I make Pear Clafouti for dessert. The recipe I use is in Ina Garten’s “Barefoot in Paris” cookbook. I make it each Fall as our Anjou pear tree here in Mpls. is dripping with pears! I let it cool and serve it with homemade whipped cream with a tablespoon of Mathilde Pear Liqueur added.
My fav is to use a sweet pastry base, pre-cooked. Line it with frangipane, then top with whatever fruit is available. Bake. Very versatile and so delicious for those who love almond.
My favorite dessert is my grandmother’s butterscotch pie with beautiful meringue.