Lemon flower cake (lemon pound cake, vanilla mousse, lemon cremeux, preserved lemon gel)

Beat eggs and sugar on full speed for five minutes until fluffy. Add the sour cream and the melted butter with the vanilla.

Incorporate the sifted dry ingredients, then add the lemon juice and mix. Fill a cake pan greased with cooking spray or butter and flour.

Bake about 40 minutes at 350 F / 180 C. Demould and let cool.

Vanilla mousse: infuse two-thirds of the heavy cream with dry vanilla beans, then blend it with the pods in.

Reheat, pass through a sieve over the white chocolate, pressing every bit through.

Add the softened gelatin and the remaining chilled heavy cream, blend well and refrigerate overnight.

Lemon cremeux: infuse two-thirds of the lemon juice with the sugar and vanilla for about 20 minutes.

Add the remaining lemon juice and bring to a boil with the eggs, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and transfer to a narrow container.

Add softened gelatin and wait until the temperature drops to 131 F / 55 C.

Add the butter and blend to an emulsion; leave to cool.

Chop preserved lemon peel and mix it with lemon gel, homemade or store-bought.

Trim the pound cake to the mould size into two identical discs. Moisten with lime or lemon juice, spread with the preserved lemon gel and freeze.

Build the cake upside down in a flower-shaped silicone mould: coat the whole surface of the mould with room-temperature lemon cremeux, drain and freeze 20 minutes to set; return the drained cremeux to the refrigerator.

Turn the vanilla ganache montee into a medium soft peak mousse without overworking it.

Pipe the mousse into the curves of the mould, working towards the centre, and press it against the edges with the back of a tablespoon.

Top with a pound cake disc, press down, smooth with the remaining mousse and freeze overnight.

Demould, brush with neutral glaze and make the pistil with poppy seeds.