One bite of this Vintage Lemon Angel Pie and you’ll know why it’s called “angel” pie. The light lemon filling is topped with whipped cream and it’s all nestled on top of an airy, crispy meringue crust. Absolutely light and delicious!

Lemon Angel Pie.

I make so many lemon recipes, that it’s been years since I made this recipe. My husband literally ate the entire pie and asked me why I waited so many years to make it for him.

If you love Lemon Meringue Pie, you’ll love this Vintage Lemon Angel Pie even more. It’s sort of like turning a lemon meringue pie upside down, but it has a light whipped filling that I think is even better. So good, and if you’re not a fan of making pie crust, this easy meringue crust is the perfect crust for you!

The Origin of Angel Pies aka Shaum Torte

Angel pies became very popular in the 1950’s and 60’s, so if you grew up in that era, you’re probably very familiar with them. They can be made in so many flavors, not just lemon.

The first known published recipe for Shaum Torte, goes back to 1938, where it was published in a German recipe book. Some believe this recipe was brought here by German immigrants between 1839 and 1850. Others argue it originated in Austria. All I know is that it’s delicious!

Here’s a clip from my mother’s 1961 Betty Crocker Cookbook where Angel pie was referred to as Schaum Torte, also known as foam cake. It’s almost identical to Pavlova, except that Pavlova contains corn starch and Schaum Torte does not.

As you can see in the second clip below, you can make the meringue shell in advance and fill it when you’re ready. Betty Crocker says so!

Lemon Angel Pie.

How to make the meringue crust

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep pie dish.
  2. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high until frothy, about 30 seconds. Whisk in one cup of the sugar about 1/3 at a time, incorporating each time before adding more. Whisk on high until the egg whites become stiff and shiny but not dry.
  3. Transfer the beaten egg whites to the pie dish, spreading them evenly across the bottom and also up the sides. Spread up to the top edge of the rim but no higher, unless you don’t care about it rising above the edge, because it will rise up. Use the back of a spoon to make fancy swirls along the edge if you prefer. I was lazy.
  4. Bake the meringue crust for about 45 to 50 minutes until it’s puffed up and just barely starting to brown. It will have some cracks in it but that’s normal. DON’T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR! This is one meringue that will crack on its own even if you don’t open the door. However, if you don’t want excessive cracks, allow the crust to cool in the turned off oven, door closed, until it’s completely cool. If you don’t care about the excess cracks you can ignore this step.

How to make the lemon curd filling

While the crust is baking make the lemon curd filling

  1. Add the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup of  sugar to a small saucepan, (one that fits in the top of a bigger pan, to make a double boiler). Whisk the egg yolks and sugar with a fork until smooth and thick.
  2. Add the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the zest and place the pan over a pan that’s about 1/4 full of simmering water. Adjust heat to medium. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon without running or dripping off. This could take 8 to 10 minutes. Place the filling in a refrigerator until it’s chilled.
  3. MICROWAVE OPTION: Here is a microwave option here that some people use. Add the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for for about 4 to 5 minutes, stopping after each minute to whisk until smooth again. After about 3 minutes, I stop and check it every 45 seconds. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon it’s ready. Refrigerate until chilled.
Lemon Angel Pie.

WHIP THE WHIPPING CREAM AND COMBINE WITH THE LEMON CURD

  1. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and the remaining 2 teaspoons of zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place an old kitchen towel over the top of the mixer (trust me on this). Beat on high until the whipping cream becomes thick. Transfer roughly 1/2 of the whipping cream to a small bowl and set aside. You’ll use this on the top of the pie.
  2. Add the cooled lemon curd filling to the bowl of remaining whipped cream, Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds to combine. Transfer the lemon filling to the meringue crust, spreading it evenly to the edges.
  3. Refrigerate 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top once the filling has set up in the fridge, or pipe dollops of it over the top.
  4. Optional: Garnish with lemon zest or lemon slices.
Lemon Angel Pie.

Pro tips for this recipe

  • Separate the eggs while they are cold. Whip the egg whites when they are room temperature. Cold eggs are easier to separate and warm egg whites whip up with more volume.
  • Don’t over beat the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and shiny but not dry. To check, once they become shiny, lift the whisk attachment out of the bowl and look to seek if the whites stay in place on the whisk. If they do they’re ready. If the egg whites fall limp (start to droop) they aren’t stiff enough.
  • Don’t crack the oven door when baking the meringue crust. It will form cracks in the meringue. Don’t open the door after the meringue crust is finished baking. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven until the oven has completely cooled down. I recommend baking the crust one day in advance to save time.
  • If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
  • Don’t use bottled reconstituted lemon juice. Fresh is always best. Besides you need the zest on the lemons for this recipe. Don’t use dried lemon zest from a spice jar.

How to zest and juice lemons correctly

You will use lemons and the lemon peel (zest) in this recipe. It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon than a juiced lemon. Zest the lemons first, then juice them. It’s also easier to juice a room temp or warm lemon. I find that the lemon juicer doesn’t always squeeze all of the juice from my lemons, therefore, I give them a quick squeeze with my hand after using the juicer. You may not want to use a juicer. If you don’t have one, I don’t suggest running out to buy one.

Lemon Angel Pie.

If you love light lemon desserts, check out my recipe for Mini Lemon Curd Pavlovas.

If you make this recipe please rate it below, and leave a comment on how you liked it. I love to hear from you!

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Lemon Angel Pie.

Vintage Lemon Angel Pie

  • Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Pies, Desserts
  • Method: Refrigerate
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Lemon Angel Pie is so light and dreamy and the airy crispy meringue crust is so easy and can be made ahead of time. A perfect Spring or Summer dessert.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, divided
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon, sprinkle on top, optional


Instructions

MAKE THE CRUST

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep pie dish.
  2. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high until frothy, about 30 seconds. Whisk in one cup of the sugar about 1/3 at a time, incorporating each time before adding more. Whisk on high until the egg whites become stiff and shiny but not dry. See my tip above.
  3. Transfer the beaten egg whites to the pie dish, spreading them evenly across the bottom and also up the sides. Spread up to the top edge of the rim but no higher, unless you don’t care about it rising above the edge, because it will rise up. Use the back of a spoon to make fancy swirls along the edge if you prefer. I was lazy.
  4. Bake the meringue crust for about 45 to 50 minutes until it’s puffed up and just barely starting to brown. It will have some cracks in it but that’s normal. DON’T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR! This is one meringue that will crack on its own even if you don’t open the door. However, if you don’t want excessive cracks, allow the crust to cool in the turned off oven, door closed, until it’s completely cool. If you don’t care about the excess cracks you can ignore this step. This pie isn’t the prettiest pie anyway to be honest, but it sure makes up for it in taste.

COOK THE LEMON CURD FILLING

  1. While the crust is baking, make the lemon curd filling.  Add the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup of  sugar to a small saucepan, (one that fits in the top of a bigger saucepan, to make a double boiler). Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and thick. Add the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the zest, and place the pan over a pan that’s about 1/4 full of boiling water. Adjust heat to medium. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon without running or dripping off. This could take 8 to 10 minutes. Place the filling in a refrigerator until it’s chilled. 
  2. MICROWAVE OPTION: Add the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for for about 4 to 5 minutes, stopping after each minute to whisk until smooth again. After about 3 minutes, I stop and check it every 45 seconds. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon it’s ready. Refrigerate until chilled.

WHIP THE WHIPPING CREAM AND MIX WITH THE LEMON CURD FILLING

  1. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and the remaining 2 teaspoons of zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place an old kitchen towel over the top of the mixer (trust me on this). Beat on high until the whipping cream becomes thick. Transfer roughly 1/2 of the whipping cream to a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Add the cooled lemon curd filling to the bowl of remaining whipped cream, Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds to combine. Transfer the lemon filling to the meringue crust, spreading it evenly to the edges.
  3. Refrigerate pie until the filling has a few minutes to set, then spread or dollop the remaining whipped cream on the top of the filling. Keep the pie refrigerated for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
  4. Optional: Sprinkle lemon zest over the whipped cream or place small pieces of lemon slices or lemon rind on the top.
  5. The pie will keep for a couple days in the fridge before the whipped cream starts to break down.

Keywords: lemons, lemon desserts, lemon pie, lemon angel pie, angel pie, lemon recipes, vintage pies, shaum torte,