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Lemon Cake (gâteaux aux citrons)

Lemon tart from Erken's Stor kokebok 1914: paper-thin lemon slices steep in sugar for 12 hours and are cooked 20 minutes, then laid in a puff-pastry-lined pan under an airy mixture of 6 eggs, 250 g powdered sugar and 250 g almonds ground with vanilla, and baked 1 hour in a hot oven.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 521 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

The recipe appears in the chapter "Cakes for dessert" in Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914). The French subtitle points to the continental model for such lemon tarts, which were popular in finer party baking around the turn of the century.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Steep the lemons in sugar

    Peel the lemons and remove all the white. Cut them crosswise into paper-thin slices and sprinkle the ground sugar over them. Let them stand and steep for 12 hours.

  2. 2

    Cook the lemon mixture

    Set the lemons with the sugar over low heat and let them simmer gently for 20 minutes. Cool.

  3. 3

    The almond mixture

    Blanch and skin the almonds. Grind them finely together with the vanilla bean, adding 1 tsp of cold water now and then so the mixture does not turn oily.

  4. 4

    The egg mixture

    Whip the eggs with the powdered sugar into a thick, pale mixture (the original says 1 hour; with an electric mixer about 10–15 minutes). Mix in the ground almonds.

  5. 5

    Fill the pan

    Grease a round pan with a loose bottom and line it with puff pastry. Place the lemon mixture in the bottom and pour the almond mixture over it.

  6. 6

    Bake

    Bake in a hot oven, about 175 °C (345 °F), for 1 hour until the cake is golden and firm. Garnish with toasted almonds if desired.

Changes from the original

Amounts have been converted to grams and deciliters/pieces according to modern practice (1/4 kg = 250 g). The puff pastry is given as an amount (approx. 300 g, preferably store-bought). The baking temperature is estimated at 175 °C (345 °F), since the original only says "hot oven." The language of the method has been modernized, but the content is unchanged.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 521) → Modernised~84% of the text changedremovedadded
6 citroner 1/4 kg. støtt stk sitroner. 250 g sukker 1/4 kg. (finstøtt, til sitronene). 250 g søte mandler mandler. 1 stang vanilje stk vaniljestang. 6 egg 1/4 kg. flormelis butterdeig. Citronerne skrælles, alt hvitt fjernes stk egg. 250 g melis. 300 g butterdeig (til å kle formen). ristede mandler (til pynt). 1 ts kaldt vann (litt av gangen ved støting av mandlene). Skrell sitronene og citronerne skjæres tversover fjern alt hvitt. Skjær dem tvers over i løvtynde skiver, overdrysses med løvtynne skiver og strø det støtte sukker; staar sukkeret over. La stå og trækker trekke i 12 timer, sættes derefter timer.. Sett sitronene med sukkeret over ilden svak varme og smaatrækker la småtrekke i 20 minutter, avkjøles. Mandlerne skoldes minutter. Avkjøl.. Skåld og støtes flå mandlene. Støt eller finmal dem sammen med vaniljen, vaniljestangen, tilsett av og til tilsættes 1 teske koldt vand. Eggene vispes ts kaldt vann så massen ikke blir oljet.. Visp eggene med melisen til en tykk, lys masse (originalen sier 1 time time; med sukkeret, tilsættes elektrisk mikser ca. 10–15 minutter). Bland inn de støtte mandler. En smurt, mandlene.. Smør en rund form med løs bund klædes bunn og kle den med butterdeig; herpaa lægges citronmassen, butterdeig. Legg sitronmassen i bunnen og herover heldes mandeldeigen. Stekes hell mandelmassen over.. Stek i varm ovn ovn, ca. 175 °C, i 1 time. Kaken kan pyntes time til kaken er gyllen og fast. Pynt eventuelt med ristede mandler.

Note on Modernised

Mengder er omregnet til gram og desiliter/stykk etter moderne praksis (1/4 kg = 250 g). Butterdeigen er angitt som en mengde (ca. 300 g, gjerne ferdigkjøpt). Steketemperatur er anslått til 175 °C, siden originalen bare sier «varm ovn». Språket i fremgangsmåten er modernisert, men innholdet er uendret.

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Frequently asked questions

Why must the lemons stand for 12 hours?
The lemon slices are sprinkled with the ground sugar (250 g) and should steep for 12 hours, so the sugar draws out juice and softens the paper-thin slices. They then simmer gently for 20 minutes over the heat and are cooled.
How long should the eggs be whipped?
The eggs are whipped for one hour with the powdered sugar (250 g) before the ground almonds with vanilla are mixed in. Feel free to use an electric mixer instead of a hand whisk.
How is the cake assembled and baked?
A greased, round pan with a loose bottom is lined with puff pastry. The lemon mixture is placed in the bottom, the almond batter is poured over, and the cake is baked in a hot oven for 1 hour. It can be garnished with toasted almonds.
Where does the recipe come from?
From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), page 521, in the chapter on dessert cakes. Given for 10 servings.

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