Lemon Curd Mousse Cake

01/29/09 UPDATE: Found the Limes, Thanks!

If anyone knows where I can get limes in Poland, PLEASE TELL ME!! Ever since my first mousse cake success, I've been wanting to recreate this specific lime mousse cake that I used to have in Paraguay...but I CAN'T FIND ANY LIMES HERE! It was such a long time ago but I still remember that box of assorted sliced mousse cakes from the "里本郎" (that's how the grown-ups called it, they were made by a Japanese lady). That box came with 4 flavors: chocolate, coffee, fruit, and lime. Since i was a spoiled brat back then, I'd always get first pick and snatch away the lime. Not just because it was the best one, but because I was freakin' fascinated with the twirly lime decoration they put on top. It looked something like the one in my picture. Simple, i know. But hey, it amused the heck out of the 8 year-old me =) So yea, thanks the the limited picks of fruits here, I had to resort lemons. On my first try, I followed the recipe on epicurious exactly but the cake turned out waaaaaaay to sweet. Yesterday I tried again and reduced the sugar to almost half of its original amount and it came out just right. 天啊, 美國人真的都吃那麼甜嗎?? 難怪...都那麼............嗯.

Lemon Curd Mousse Cake
from epicurious.com with a few changes
I reduced the recipe by half and made one 5.5'' cake.
INGREDIENTS:

• CURD
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons potato starch
  
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• CRUST
  
• 2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs (about 7 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• MOUSSE
  
• 5 tablespoons water
• 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
  
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
  
  
• Lemon slices (garnish)

DIRECTIONS:
For CURD:

1. Mix sugar and potato startch in heavy large saucepan.
   
2. Gradually add lemon juice, whisking until all cornstarch dissolves [picture 1].
   
3. Whisk in eggs and yolks [picture 2].
   
4. Add butter and stir over medium heat until curd thickens and boils, about 12 minutes [picture 3, 4].
   
5. Transfer to medium bowl. Chill until cold, at least 6 hours.
   (Can be made 1 week ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd and keep chilled.)

For CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Generously grease an 8-inch-diameter springform pan.
   
3. Blend cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl [picture 1].
   
4. Press onto bottom of pan [picture 2].
   
5. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes [picture 3]. Cool.

For MOUSSE:

1. Pour 5 tablespoons water into small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes [picture 1].
2. Meanwhile, place 1 3/4 cups lemon curd in large bowl. Stir 3/4 cup curd in another small saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm [picture 1]. (Remember to reserve the remaining curd to spread over cake)
3. Stir gelatin mixture over medium-low heat until dissolved and liquid is clear (do not boil).
4. Whisk warm gelatin mixture into 3/4 cup warm curd.
   
5. Gradually whisk gelatin-curd mixture into the 1 3/4 cups curd in the large bowl [picture 3].
   
6. In a seperate bowl, using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until they are thick and glossy [picture 4].
   
7. Fold whites into curd mixture in 3 additions [picture 6].
   
8. Using same beaters, beat cream in another medium bowl until peaks form [picture 5]. Fold into egg white-curd mixture in 3 additions [picture 7].
   
9. Pour enough mousse over cooled crust to fill pan completely [picture 8].
   
10. Pour remaining mousse into small bowl and reserve.
    
11. Cover and chill mousse cake, reserved mousse, and remaining curd overnight (or until the mousse is set).
    
    
12. Using long thin knife, cut around cake to loosen. Remove pan sides.
    
13. Gently spread the remaining curd over cake.
    
14. Transfer reserved mousse to pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe rosettes of mousse around top edge of cake.
    
15. Arrange lemon slices between rosettes. Cut cake into wedges.
    (Or you can just decorate with lemon twists, up to you)
    
16. Chill cake until ready to serve. (Can be made up to 8 hours ahead.).

Lemon Curd Mousse Cake