Amish Lemon Sponge Pie

What is your favorite cake or pie? I know it is like a dessert dilemma.  I’m torn because I like them both, so this recipe for this Lemon Sponge Pie has become a favorite pie. Yes, you can have cake and pie together in one dessert with the fresh flavor of old-fashioned lemon pie.

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Also known as a lemon cake pie, this dessert has layers of flavor, a flaky pie crust, a tangy, creamy layer of lemon cream, and finally, a tender layer of lemon sponge cake that is simply luscious. It’s like a dream-come-true dessert.

I love vintage recipes, and this one had been taped in my cookbook for over fifteen years, and I just ignored it.  The thought of a cake-pie dessert just never sounded right to me. I figured there would be a big cake layer in a pie shell. I was so wrong!

There are several components to making this lemony dessert, but they are all simple: the baking process is easy, and the ingredients are easy to get at the market. It’s just EASY!!!

Another easy vintage lemon dessert is this no-bake lemon posset. It’s rich, creamy, and ultra decadent.

Why This Dessert Is So Good

• It’s a unique and easy pie recipe perfect for special occasions or an everyday dessert.
• This dessert has just the right amount of lemon flavor; all you need is one lemon.
• You can use a store-bought pie crust, and this dessert will come out just as tasty as making your own
• The ratio of lemon custard to the lemon cake is perfect in every bit.
• This is like a three-in-one dessert – pie, custard, and cake.  What’s not to like?

Dessert Ingredients

9-inch pie dough – use this easy recipe for Flaky Pie Crust.

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour
• Water
• Salt
• Butter/Shortening –

Lemon Pie Filling ingredients

• Butter – Use unsalted for the best results.
• White Sugar
• Eggs – Use large eggs
• Flour – all-purpose flour
• Milk – I always use whole milk, but 2% will work. I have not tested plant-based milk.
• Lemon – use a large fresh lemon. You will use the juice and the lemon zest.

Raspberry Sauce (Optional, but really good)

• Fresh Raspberries
• White Sugar
• Cornstarch

How To Make A Lemon Pie

The pie shell

Step 1.  A 9″ unbaked pie crust is needed for the filling.  You can make your dough using my Flaky Crust Recipe; it’s easy and delicious. Not into making pie dough, you can use a 9″ store-bought crust, and this dessert will be just as delicious.

The lemon filling

Step 2. Add the melted butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium speed using a hand mixer until combined. You can also use a stand mixer.

Step 3. Separate egg yolks and reserve the whites in a large mixing bowl.  Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix at low speed between each addition until combined and smooth.

Step 4. Mix the flour into the batter on low speed to incorporate.

Step 5. Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix on medium speed until combined.  Scrape the bowl and remix it so everything is nice and creamy.

Step 6. In a separate bowl, add the three reserved egg whites. Start mixing the whites on low speed, then increase the speed to medium-high speed and beat until stiff peaks form for well-beaten egg whites.

Step 7. Slowly fold egg whites into the egg yolk batter with a rubber spatula until the egg whites are mixed in.

Step 8. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325° f for 50 – 60 minutes with your rack in the bottom half of the oven. The custard might be just slightly jiggly when done, not too jiggly, just slightly. Remove the pie, set it on a wire rack, and cool it completely.  

How To Serve This Lemon Pie

The filling often pulls away from the crust, so I like to pipe whipped cream around the edges. Fresh raspberries on top make it look extra festive.

I also make a quick raspberry sauce to drizzle on top. This is optional, but I like the sauce’s sweetness with the tangy lemon flavor. Strawberries would be good, too.

How to make a quick raspberry sauce (optional)

Add the raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar is dissolved, smashing the raspberries as you stir. Cook for 5 minutes, then pour the mixture into a mesh strainer to strain the seeds, pushing down with a spoon to get all the juice.  Return the juice to the saucepan over medium heat and add a slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken the raspberry juice.  Cook again over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until thickened.

Let the sauce cool and drizzle over pie slices.

FAQ’s

More lemon recipes to try

• Baked Ricotta with Lemon and Herbs – an easy and creamy appetizer.
• Sweet, Tart and Tangy Lemon Cake – this bundt cake is full of lemon flavor inside and out.
• Chewy Lemon Cookies – these are the best lemon cookies and have a soft lemony glaze on top.
• Lemon Shortbread Cookies – baked with lots of lemon zest, these crispy shortbreads deliver on lemon flavor.
• Lemon Scones are always delicious, and for this recipe, we added blueberries for some wonderful sweetness and color and a sweet icing drizzle.

Don’t forget the pie plate – For this recipe, I used a 9″ pie plate, and the filling for this pie fits in it perfectly.

Pin to your favorite dessert board

Recipe

First Published: Sept. 11, 2011. Last Updated: Feb. 23, 2024, with new images and better readability.

This was my original photo of the lemon pie with raspberry cream cheese frosting piped on the edges. The frosting recipe is in the recipe card.

  

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