The Marco Pierre White lemon pie recipe is one of the most popular on NRK Mat. It comes from the Swedish TV show Niklas’ mat, of which NRK has broadcast several seasons.
The program with the big pastry was broadcast on Norwegian television for the first time in 2011.
Lise Finckenhagen.
Photo: Tone G. Johannesen
But if the cake is popular, it is also perceived as difficult. Culinary editors did not dare to try, but several readers wrote to us about the recipe. They follow it to the letter, but don’t get it as well as Niklas Ekstedt handles it in the program.
– A difficult recipe
A Google search of the recipe and its author, Marco Pierre White, shows that there are several versions of the same pie. But we want to know which one is the best.
That’s why we want your help. What should be the goals for the cake to be perfect? Share your experiences with us on our Facebook page, Instagram account or send an email to NRK Mat.
– Lemon pie is difficult, says Lise Finckenhagen, who cooks on the radio and on NRK P1+ every week.
She encourages to weigh more in the kitchen, and comes here with her explanations of why it is difficult to bake a lemon pie according to this particular recipe.
An egg can weigh between 45 and 78 grams.
Photo: Mari Rollag Evensen / NRK
A deciliter of wheat flour can weigh 60 grams – or more – or less.
Photo: SCANPIX/Scanpix
Different lemons have different amounts of juice – and taste.
Photo: Maria Elsness / NRK
Small diameter cake pans result in tall cakes, while large diameter means a lower cake.
Photo: Frank May/NTB Scanpix
1. Eggs are given in number
The eggs are sold in four different sizes. The “cooking egg” weighs 63 grams of shell, according to Finckenhagen. In regular egg packages there are eggs that weigh 63 grams, but also 73 grams – and everything in between. In the recipe, there are a total of ten eggs and one egg yolk. In other words, you can get wide variations in the amount of eggs in the cake, depending on the size of eggs you have.
2. Wheat flour and powdered sugar are expressed in deciliters
There are four decilitres of flour in the recipe. According to the conversion table from matoppskrift.no, one deciliter of wheat flour weighs 60 grams. A deciliter of sugar weighs the same. But if the flour or powdered sugar in your bag has collapsed, you get more than 60 grams in a deciliter.
3. Lemons are given in number
In the recipe, it should be the zest of three organic lemons, and the juice of five lemons. But how much juice is there in a lemon? Some lemons have plenty of juice, while others are drier. Many chefs recommend organic lemons for dishes where lemon zest must be used. The reason is that organic lemons are not exposed to pesticides. But the taste is also different, according to Finckenhagen.
– Organic lemons give a sweeter taste. They are more aromatic and round, she believes.
4. The exact measurements of the cake topper are not listed
The recipe states that “the quantities in this recipe are quite large. If you have a small form, it is enough for two lemon pies”. It is therefore reasonable to assume that there is a great form of spring to use. But what size? And what size, if you use two small shapes?
– The size of the mold obviously matters on the height of the cake you get, says Finckenhagen, who says herself that she likes tall cakes.