Joan Nathan's Passover Pecan Lemon Torte With Lemon Curd Filling
Many years ago, in Jerusalem, I was given a recipe for an almond-lemon torte. I loved the tartness of the lemon but wanted it even more lemony.
I was reminded of my love for lemon curd, which started when I’d go from bakery to bakery in Paris, tasting each lemon-curd tart. For this torte, I changed the almonds to pecans (because Passover already has so many almonds) and added my favorite lemon curd, which I learned from Suzanne’s, a long-gone restaurant on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C.
It’s not hard at all: Make the curd a few days in advance and, if you want, freeze the cake up to 2 months ahead.
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Make the Torte: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Dust a 9-inch springform pan with matzo meal.
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the salt until they’re smooth and pale lemon yellow. Gradually add the 1/4 cup of matzo meal, the lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the pecans.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry (by hand or using a hand mixer or stand mixer). Gently fold them into the yolk mixture.
Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let it cool while you make the lemon curd.
Make the Lemon Curd Filling: Grate the rind of the lemons to get 2 tablespoons zest, then juice the lemons to get ¾ cup of juice. Whisk the sugar and the eggs in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the lemon juice and zest. Add the butter or coconut oil, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and being careful not to boil, until the lemon thickens into a curdlike custard, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Assemble the Torte: Once the cake is cool, split it into two round layers. Spread the lemon-curd filling, reserving a few tablespoons, on the cut side of the bottom round. Add the second round, top side up, then spread the remaining curd, dot with berries and serve.
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