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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle is a refreshing sweet-tart confection perfect for summer days. It’s a gorgeous creamy citrus dessert that satisfies cravings without being too heavy. Bonus–preparing the Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle won’t heat up your kitchen.
Don’t let the word souffle intimidate you! Think of this confection as more of a frozen mousse. Made by blending homemade brightly-flavored lemon-lime custard with whipped cream and fluffy egg whites, the Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle will wow guests but it’s lovely for everyday as well.
Table of Contents
- What is a Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle?
- Tools You Need
- Key Ingredients and Why
- How to Make Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle
- Can I Make Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle in Advance?
- How to Store Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle
- FAQs
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- More Lemon and Lime Dessert Recipes
What is a Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle?
A Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle is a dessert made from a base of tangy and creamy lemon-lime custard.
In a frozen souffle, also known as souffle glacé, egg whites and cream are folded into a custardy base to create a silky, billowy mixture that’s piled into a souffle mold fitted with a high foil collar and then frozen. Garnish with whipped cream and colorful citrus zest, and you have a cooling, beautifully elegant dessert.
Tools You Need
- Medium and large bowls
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Sieve
- Medium saucepan
- Ladle
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- Thin-edged spoon
- Souffle mold or a round oven-safe baking dish with high, straight sides
- Aluminum foil
Key Ingredients and Why
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Eggs
Separate eggs to make your Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle. Check out my article about How to Separate Eggs to do it perfectly every time!
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- Egg yolks
- The whisked yolks give structure and creaminess to the lemon-lime custard.
- Egg yolks act as a binder to hold the souffle ingredients together.
- Egg yolks
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- Egg whites
Whipped whites give the Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle lightness and height.
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- Check out my article How Long Do You Whip Egg Whites for detailed tips.
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Granulated sugar
- Sugar is the perfect balance for tart lemon and lime flavors.
- When cooked with egg yolks, the dissolved sugar stabilizes the structure of the lemon-lime custard base.
- Moreover, sugar also inhibits the formation of large ice crystals during freezing to retain a smooth texture.
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Lemon juice and lime juice
- Zippy citrus juices give this frozen souffle its refreshing flavor.
- When lemon and lime juice is mixed with sugar, the citrus taste goes from acidic and sharp to mildly sweet with floral notes.
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Lemon zest and lime zest
Lemon zest and lime zest can enrich the soufflé with intense citrus flavor without diluting the consistency.
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Heavy cream
- Heavy cream gives the Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle a velvety texture.
- The high-fat content in heavy cream lowers the freezing point, giving the souffle a smooth rather than icy texture.
How to Make Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle
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Prep
Wrap a 3-inch high aluminum foil collar around the souffle mold. The collar gives the souffle support while it’s freezing, and when it’s removed the dessert will have the dramatically high look of a traditional baked souffle.
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Make the Souffle Base
- Bring the sugar, juice, and zest to a simmer.
- While whisking the egg yolks, slowly add the sugar-citrus mixture. Cook until just thickened.
- Push the mixture through a sieve to remove any bits of egg that might have cooked.
- Chill the mixture over a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
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Complete the Souffle
- Whip the egg whites gradually to stiff peaks and gently fold into the lemon-lime custard mixture.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks, and carefully fold it in. Check out my article on How to Make Whipped Cream for detailed tips.
- Stiff peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.
- Pour into the prepared souffle mold, and freeze for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
Can I Make Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle in Advance?
Yes, you can make this frozen soufflé ahead of time.
- The souffle must be frozen for at least six hours, and preferably overnight.
- If you wish to freeze the souffle longer, cover it with plastic wrap to protect it from freezer burn and from absorbing odors from other foods. You can freeze it for up to one week.
How to Store Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle
Store leftover souffle in a covered container in the freezer for one week.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a frozen souffle and a traditional souffle?
- Frozen souffles, including this Lemon and Lime Souffle, are not baked but made from a custard base combined with whipped egg whites and whipped cream, and then frozen.
- On the contrary, traditional souffles are baked. Whipped egg whites are folded into a sweet or savory base and the mixture puffs up in the oven, giving it a slightly crusty top and a soft and airy interior.
- Some people are intimidated by making a traditional souffle, but I demystify the process in Chocolate Souffle Simplified. For a savory option, check out my Potato and Rosemary Souffle recipe.
Can I Make This Recipe as Individual Souffles?
Yes. You can make the full-size soufflé into individual servings using eight six-ounce ramekins.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Line the sieve with cheesecloth for an even finer strain.
- Add a little bit of the hot sugar mixture to the eggs to temper them before adding the rest.
- Make the ‘souffle base’ up to three days in advance.
- It’s very important to use room-temperature eggs when making souffle. They whip better and will incorporate air easily.
- Use a thin metal spoon instead of a relatively thicker spatula to avoid deflating whipped egg whites.
- Add a pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites to help your souffle hold its shape for longer. (For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.)
More Lemon and Lime Dessert Recipes
- Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe in 10 Minutes
- Refreshing & Creamy Lemon Posset
- Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream (No Machine)
- Fresh & Sweet Lemon Semifreddo
- The Easiest No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Light & Refreshing Lemon Gelée
Try These Recipes!
Frozen Lemon and Lime Souffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (5 fl oz/142 ml) heavy cream
For the Garnish
- Whipped cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon and lime zest
Instructions
- Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the outside of a 6-cup (48 fl oz/1500 ml) capacity souffle mold.
- Fold the foil in half lengthwise, then wrap it around the souffle mold so that the foil extends 3 inches (7 ½ cm) above the rim of the mold, and secure it with tape. (Be patient with yourself – it can be easier said than done!) Set aside.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl next to the stove and place a separate clean bowl with a fine mesh sieve on top also near the stove.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar, zest, and juice and heat until simmering.
- Whisk the egg yolks while adding the hot lemon-lime mixture, one ladleful at a time, until it is incorporated.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let this boil or it can curdle.
- Immediately pass the curd through the sieve, then place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water to cool the mix and stop it cooking. Allow to cool here, stirring occasionally.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a handheld electric mixer and a medium bowl).
- Whip the whites on medium speed for 2 minutes until foamy and thickened, then increase the speed to high and whip to stiff peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold the whipped whites into the chilled curd using a thin-edged metal spoon.
- In the same bowl used to whip the whites, add the heavy cream and whip on high speed until it reaches medium-stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold this gently into the mixture.
- Pour the souffle into the prepared mold and freeze for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Carefully unmold and serve with some softly whipped cream and a little zest. Cover and store leftovers back in the freezer for up to a week.
This looks amazing…how ever could I just make a lemon one? Would I sub the lime juice and zest with more lemon or could I just leave it out? I would love to serve a lemon one with strawberries.