With a fluffy meringue and a perfectly baked cake layer, you won’t be able to resist this lemon meringue slice recipe!
This lemon meringue slice recipe, or sampita (shahm-pee-tah), has been in my family for generations. The origin of the recipe comes from Europe, specifically the Balkans area.
Consider incorporating some scrumptious desserts into your regular rotation, such as the flavorful blackberry lemon loaf or the delectable walnut strudel.
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Ingredients
Here is the complete list of all ingredients needed for this recipe. For precise measurements, please look at the recipe card.
- Eggs: Egg yolk is for the cake layer, and the egg whites are for the meringue.
- All-purpose flour: We are using flour as a base for the cake layer.
- Sugar: Part of the sugar goes for the cake layer to add a little sweetness, and the remaining sugar goes for the meringue.
- Oil: I used canola oil in this recipe.
- Milk: I used whole milk in this recipe. You may use the 2% milk as well.
- Baking powder: We are using baking powder to lift the cake layer a little bit.
- Water: In this recipe, we use water to incorporate sugar and lemon juice, which will create that delicious syrup for meringue.
- Lemon juice: An acid will improve the structure of the meringue. It not only helps meringue whip up, but it also keeps it stable. I used fresh lemon juice. I would not recommend lemon extract for this recipe.
Make the Cake Layer
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Add flour, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks, canola oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Mix until well combined.
Step 3: Grease the 8 x 8 pan with butter. Pour the cake mixture into the pan.
Step 4: Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top and the wooden skewer is mostly dry after you poke the cake. Remove from the oven and leave on the counter.
Make the Meringue
Step 1: In a mixer bowl, add egg whites and start mixing at low speed.
Step 2: At the same time, in a small pot, add sugar, water, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix until well combined. Bring to a boil and boil for one more minute. Remove from the heat.
Step 3: Add the sugar and lemon juice mixture to the egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is still on low speed. Keep adding the sugar and lemon juice mixture (while increasing the mixer speed slightly) until the soft peaks are formed.
Keep beating the meringue at high speed until you get the desired texture. The meringue should have stiff peaks when you hold the mixer head up.
Step 4: Spread the meringue to the edges of the pan with the cake layer. Put in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
I cut this lemon meringue slice cake into nine pieces because removing larger pieces from the cake pan is more manageable. You can make smaller slices once you remove them from the cake pan. Grate the chocolate or walnuts on top. Enjoy!
Storage
I put the whole cake pan with the remaining slices in the fridge as is. I don’t cover it up. It can hold in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
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- Walnut Strudel
- Blackberry Lemon Bread
- Summer Raspberry Cake
- The Best Homemade Apple Pie
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- Gurabije – Lard Cookies
- Walnut Cookies – Sape Recipe
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Recipe
Lemon Meringue Slice – Sampita
Equipment
- 1 standing mixer
- 1 spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 medium-size pot
- 1 baking pan
Ingredients
For the cake layer
- 6 egg yolk
- 5 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
For meringue
- 6 egg white
- 1.1 lb sugar
- ½ cup water
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (just a little bit)
Instructions
- Make the cake layer: Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheits. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks, canola oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Mix until well combined. Grease the 8 x 8 pan with butter. Pour the cake mixture into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top, and the wooden skewer is mostly dry after you poke the cake. Remove from the oven and leave on the counter.
- Make the meringue: In a mixer bowl, add egg whites and start mixing at low speed. At the same time, in a small pot, add sugar, water, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix until well combined. Bring to boil and boil for one more minute. Remove from the heat. Start adding sugar and lemon juice mixture to the egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is still on low speed. Keep adding the sugar and lemon juice mixture (while increasing the mixer speed slightly) until the soft peaks are formed. Keep beating the meringue at high speed until you get the desired texture. The meringue should have stiff peaks when you hold the mixer head up.
- Spread the meringue to the edges of the pan with the cake layer. Put in the fridge for 2 hours before serving. Grate the chocolate or walnuts on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- When separating the egg white from the egg yolk, ensure that there is not a single drop of egg yolk in the egg whites.
- For this recipe, I used my KitchenAid mixer. When beating the egg whites, I started with speed one, then speed two. Then, when I started adding sugar and lemon juice mixture, I increased the speed slightly. Once I added the whole mixture to the egg whites, I increased the speed to high (speed eight and then speed ten for the last minute or two).
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