Le gâteau dunes citron spéculoos facile et délicieux

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs (large, room temperature)
• 150 g Granulated Sugar (for lemon curd)
• 120 ml Fresh Lemon Juice (about 3-4 lemons, freshly squeezed)
• 2 tsp Lemon Zest (reserved from the lemons used for juice)
• 30 g Unsalted Butter (cut into cubes, melted for lemon curd)
• 6 Gelatin Sheets (softened in cold water, for lemon mousse)
• 300 ml Heavy Cream (minimum 30% fat, very cold)
• 1 drop Food‑grade Yellow Coloring (optional, for brighter lemon color)
• 4 Egg Whites (room temperature)
• 100 g Powdered Sugar (for financier biscuit)
• 30 g All‑Purpose Flour (sifted)
• 30 g Almond Flour (fine, for financier biscuit)
• 80 g Unsalted Butter (for financier) (melted to a nutty brown color, then cooled)
• 200 g Speculoos Spread (store‑bought speculoos paste)
• 100 ml Whole Milk (for speculoos mousse)
• 4 Gelatin Sheets (speculoos mousse) (softened in cold water)
• 150 g Speculoos Biscuits (crushed to fine crumbs for crunchy base)
• 80 g Unsalted Butter (for base) (melted, mixed with biscuit crumbs)

Instructions

1. Soak Gelatin for Lemon Mousse

   Place 6 gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water and let soften for 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

2. Make Lemon Curd

   In a saucepan combine 4 eggs, 150 g sugar and 120 ml fresh lemon juice. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches a gentle boil; continue for about 30 seconds.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Medium heat

3. Incorporate Gelatin and Butter

   Remove the saucepan from heat, squeeze excess water from the gelatin and stir it in until fully dissolved. Then whisk in 30 g melted butter. Finally, strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any cooked egg bits.

   Time: PT3M

4. Whip Cream for Lemon Mousse

   Chill the mixing bowl, whisk, and cream. Whip 300 ml heavy cream until soft peaks form.

   Time: PT5M

5. Fold Cream into Lemon Curd

   Add the reserved lemon zest to the curd, then gently fold in the whipped cream using a spatula, adding the cream in two batches. If desired, add a drop of yellow food coloring.

   Time: PT4M

6. Set Lemon Mousse

   Pour the lemon mousse into the Dor de Guidemarle mold, smooth the top, and place the mold in the freezer for 1 hour.

   Time: PT1H

7. Prepare Financier Biscuit

   Melt 80 g butter in a saucepan until it turns a light nutty (beurre noisette) colour, then let it cool. In a bowl, whisk 4 egg whites with 100 g powdered sugar until frothy, fold in sifted 30 g flour and 30 g almond flour, then add the cooled butter and mix to a homogeneous batter.

   Time: PT10M

8. Bake Financier

   Pour the batter into a 22 cm silicone round mold (no greasing needed) and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: 180°C

9. Cool Financier

   Remove the biscuit from the oven, let it cool completely on a wire rack before using.

   Time: PT15M

10. Soak Gelatin for Speculoos Mousse

    Soften 4 gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.

    Time: PT5M

11. Melt Speculoos Paste

    In a small saucepan gently heat 200 g speculoos spread with 100 ml milk, stirring until smooth and fully melted.

    Time: PT3M

    Temperature: Low heat

12. Add Gelatin to Speculoos Base

    Remove from heat, squeeze excess water from the gelatin and stir it into the warm speculoos mixture until dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

    Time: PT5M

13. Whip Cream for Speculoos Mousse

    Whip 200 ml heavy cream until it reaches a soft‑firm consistency (just thick enough to hold shape).

    Time: PT5M

14. Combine Speculoos and Cream

    Fold the whipped cream into the cooled speculoos‑gelatin mixture in two additions, mixing gently until fully incorporated.

    Time: PT4M

15. Layer Speculoos Mousse over Lemon Mousse

    Remove the lemon mousse mold from the freezer. Pour the speculoos mousse over the set lemon layer, spreading evenly with a spatula.

    Time: PT5M

16. Add Financier Biscuit

    Place the cooled financier biscuit on top of the speculoos mousse, pressing lightly to adhere and eliminate air pockets.

    Time: PT3M

17. Prepare Crunchy Speculoos Base

    In a food processor, pulse 150 g speculoos biscuits into fine crumbs, add 80 g melted butter and blend until a dough forms.

    Time: PT5M

18. Form Base Layer

    Press the biscuit‑butter dough onto the bottom of the assembled cake (inside the mold) to a thickness of about 3 mm, smoothing with the back of a spoon.

    Time: PT3M

19. Final Freeze

    Cover the mold and place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours (overnight preferred) to set all layers firmly.

    Time: PT4H

20. Demould and Chill

    Run a thin knife around the edges, gently release the cake from the mold, and transfer to a serving plate. Refrigerate for 7 hours (or overnight) before serving to allow the mousse to soften slightly.

    Time: PT7H

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

5 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

22 g

Fiber

2 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Eggs: Egg yolks only (2 yolks) for richer curd
• Instead of Granulated Sugar: Caster sugar
• Instead of Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemon concentrate diluted with water
• Instead of Lemon Zest: Lemon extract (1/4 tsp)
• Instead of Unsalted Butter: Margarine (use unsalted)
• Instead of Gelatin Sheets: Powdered gelatin (2 tsp)
• Instead of Heavy Cream: Whipping cream
• Instead of Food‑grade Yellow Coloring: Turmeric pinch (for natural color)
• Instead of Egg Whites: Aquafaba (3 tbsp per white)
• Instead of Powdered Sugar: Caster sugar (blended)
• Instead of All‑Purpose Flour: Cake flour
• Instead of Almond Flour: Ground almonds
• Instead of Unsalted Butter (for financier): Clarified butter
• Instead of Speculoos Spread: Biscoff spread
• Instead of Whole Milk: Half‑and‑half (adjust thickness)
• Instead of Gelatin Sheets (speculoos mousse): Powdered gelatin (1½ tsp)
• Instead of Speculoos Biscuits: Digestive biscuits
• Instead of Unsalted Butter (for base): Margarine

Equipment Needed

• Saucepan
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Silicone Round Mold (22 cm)
• Dor de Guidemarle Mold
• Oven
• Freezer
• Spatula
• Food Processor or Plastic Bag & Rolling Pin
• Scale
• Thermometer (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Soaking and fully dissolving gelatin without overheating
• Achieving the correct thickness for lemon curd before adding gelatin
• Whipping cream while everything is thoroughly chilled
• Folding cream into curd/mousse gently to keep air
• Baking the financier to a light golden color without over‑browning
• Pressing the crunchy base to an even 3 mm layer
• Freezing long enough for clean demoulding

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use a microplane for the lemon zest to capture aromatic oils without bitterness.
• For an extra glossy finish, brush the top of the speculoos mousse with a thin glaze of warmed speculoos spread before the final freeze.
• If you prefer a less sweet lemon mousse, reduce the sugar to 120 g.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Can be frozen airtight for up to 3 weeks.

Room temperature: Not recommended; mousse will melt.

Make-Ahead Tips

• The crunchy speculoos base can be prepared up to 3 weeks in advance and kept frozen.
• Both lemon and speculoos mousses freeze well; you can assemble the cake a day ahead and keep it frozen until ready to serve.
• If you need to thaw, move the cake to the refrigerator 7 hours before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions