Can You Help Me Figure Out What Happened to My Lemon Bars?

Q: I set out to try a new lemon bar recipe and instead pulled off quite the confectionary magic trick. I prepared and pre-baked the crust, exactly as the recipe directed, and then I poured the lemon filling over the crust and baked the whole thing until it was set.

When I pulled the pan out of the oven, I found that the crust and lemon filling had somehow switched places. The in-tact crust was on top and the lemon filling was below it. Ta-da! Tasty though they were, I can’t help but wonder what on earth happened to my lemon bars.

Sent by Angela

Editor: Very cool! It’s tricky to say what caused this to happen without taking a look at the recipe, but I wonder if there was a hole in your crust. If the lemon curd was able to slip underneath the crust as the bars baked, that would explain the switch. Secondly, if the curd isn’t thick enough, it can also slip under the crust easily. Did you have to mix any flour into that mixture? One last thought: Did you let the pre-baked crust cool down before adding the curd? If it’s not hot when you add the lemon mixture, it won’t firm up once it hits the crust, and that can also cause the inversion.