Spatula Diaries: Your holiday table needs this sinful but refreshing lemon dessert

Every year for Christmas dinner, I serve three desserts. There’s usually something with chocolate. There’s often something with mint. And there’s always this lemon chiffon cake. I love it because it’s really pretty, fun to make and manages to walk the line between sinful and refreshing. It’s also a great use for local lemons.

The recipe is from A Southern Collection, a Junior League-produced cookbook from my hometown, Columbus, Georgia, where it’s confidently but cryptically called “Delicious Lemon Dessert.” I renamed it here to give you a sense of texture, and I made a few editorial changes to bring it up to modern recipe standards. Otherwise, it’s true to its 1979 version. And while it might have you hating on Spatula Diaries for all those dirty bowls and multiple uses of the mixer, it’s worth it both for its luscious flavor and compatibility with the holiday table. Enjoy.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Servings: 12

½ cup cold water
1 envelope plain gelatin
4 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
Pinch of salt
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 pint heavy cream, freshly whipped
2 dozen lady fingers, separated
Fresh berries for garnish

In a small bowl, add the cold water. Sprinkle the gelatin into the water and place the bowl into a larger bowl or saucepan containing hot water. Stir the gelatin briefly to dissolve and set aside. In a larger bowl, or in the bowl of a standing mixer, add the egg yolks, ½ cup sugar and salt. Beat until thick and light. Slowly add the lemon juice, zest and dissolved gelatin. In another bowl, add the egg whites and beat until foamy. Slowly add the other ½ cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture. Fold in the whipped cream. Line the bottom and inside of a 12-inch springform pan with lady finger halves. Pour in half of the custard mixture. Line the top of the custard mixture with more lady fingers. Pour the remaining custard on top. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from the mold and garnish with fresh berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her through hungryforlouisiana.com.