• Lemon Chocolate Cake
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, make sure the rack is in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the pan or parchment paper.
• Place a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Place chopped chocolate in the bowl, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove the chocolate from heat, stir in the room temperature butter until smooth. You can also melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, at 50% power, stirring frequently. You must be very careful not to burn the chocolate if heating it in the microwave.
• Take 4 eggs and separate the yolks and whites into different bowls. Whisk together 2 whole eggs with the 4 egg yolks and ½ cup (100 grams) of sugar. Pour a small amount of warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk. Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest and remaining chocolate mixture, whisking until smooth.
• Pour egg whites into a clean bowl, beating with a hand mixer until foamy. Continue beating, slowly adding in the remaining ½ cup (100 grams) sugar until the egg whites are smooth, glossy, and have reached soft peaks. You’ll know you’ve reached soft peak stage when you pull the beater up out of the mixture and the whites form a peak that droops over at the tip.
• Fold ¼ of the egg white mixture into the chocolate batter. Once homogenous, fold in the remaining egg whites into the chocolate batter until there are no streaks.
• Pour into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. The lemon and chocolate cake should be puffed and cracked, but the center should not wobble. Remove from the oven and cool completely. The cake should fall in the center, this is normal and expected. This cake can be made the day before if convenient.

White Chocolate Lemon Cream

• While the cake is cooling prepare the white chocolate lemon cream. In a small saucepan, simmer together the lemon zest and cream for 2 minutes.
• Place the white chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the warm cream over the white chocolate, scrape the bottom and sides of the sauce pan to ensure no lemon zest is left behind. Whisk together the cream and chocolate until completely smooth. If you still have any lumps, you can microwave the mixture for 15 second increments, whisking in between until completely smooth. (make sure the bowl is microwave-safe!).
• Whisk in the remaining cream, cover the bowl and chill for at least 2 hours.
• Once cold, use a hand mixer to whip the white chocolate lemon cream until thick and stiff, like whipped cream.

Candied Lemon Peel

• Wash your lemon. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel long strips of the lemon peel away, avoiding the white pith (it’s bitter). Alternatively, you can cut open the lemon, and cut out the fruit. Use a sharp-edged spoon to scrap away the white pith. Then slice into thin strips.
• Add water and sugar to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add lemon peel and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Keep a close eye on them, they can burn if unwatched. The peels should be transparent and easy to bite through. Boil longer if needed. Remove from heat and cool in syrup for about 5-10 minutes
• Use a fork to remove the peels and spread candied peels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let dry 15-20 minutes.

Assembly

• Make sure all elements of the cake are cool before assembling. Use a thin knife to run along the edge of the cake to loosen it before removing the outer rim of the springform pan.
• Top the lemon chocolate cake with the white chocolate lemon cream. Scoop the cream right into the center crater of the cake. Garnish the cake with candied lemon peel. Alternatively you can garnish with grated chocolate, chocolate curls, a dusting of cocoa powder, or fresh lemon zest.
• Slice the cake into wedges and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.