Can I Make The Lemon Meringue Cake With Gluten-Free Flour?

Our answer

Nigella's Lemon Meringue Cake (from FEAST) has thin layers of sponge that are topped with a swirl of marshmallowy meringue. The two layers are sandwiched with tart lemon curd and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

The sponges have a combination of plain (all-purpose) flour and cornflour (cornstarch) to make them more tender. If you replace the flour with a gluten-free flour, the sponge will be quite delicate and frangible and we are not sure how well they will take the weight of the meringue, particularly for the top layer of the cake. The bottom layer can probably be inverted onto a serving plate. But you would need something like a large cake lifter to be able to move the top layer, and even then it may crack or break up a little. If you are going to use gluten-free flour then we suggest using a blend that is designed to replace plain or all-purpose flour. Also, the cornflour isn't necessary if you use gluten-free flour, so just use 125g (scant 1 cup) gluten-free flour. However, please note that as we have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flours ourselves, we are unable to guarantee the results.