Meringue cake is a pavlova that is dressed up for the ball. Its’ proper name is a Spanish Wind Torte and as a child I used to admire the photo of it that adorned the front of Time-Life Foods of The World Book, “The Cooking of Vienna’s Empire”. It is a perfect gluten and wheat free birthday cake for friends with intolerances. Here I have filled it with cream and fruit, you can also add shaved chocolate to the mix if you would like it even more sweet.
Ingredients – meringue circles
8 Egg whitesor 288g (10.16 ounces)
570g (20.11 ounces) or 2 2/3 cups caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Ingredients – meringue covering for the cake
4 Egg whitesor 144g (5.08 ounces)
280g (9.88 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tsp caster (super find) sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Ingredients – Royal icing for the details
1 Egg whiteor 36g (1.27 ounces)
150g (5.29 ounces) or 1 cup plus 3 Tbsp icing (powdered) sugar
purple food colouring and silver cachous (optional)
Ingredients – To fill the cake
600mL (20.29 fluid ounces) or 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tsp cream (35% fat)
1 Tbsp or 8g (0.28 ounces) icing (powdered) sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
500g (17.64 ounces) or 3 1/3 cups of Fruit of your choice – eg strawberries, kiwi fruit, seedless grapes
200g (7.05 ounces) finely chopped milk chocolate (optional – I don’t think this dessert needs it but some traditional recipes include chocolate)
STEP 1: Take a saucer or a cereal bowl, turn it upside down and use it to draw 4 circles onto nonstick baking paper (this is better than greaseproof paper). I used a plate that was 19 cm (7.48 inches) or 7 1/2 inches (5.08 centimetres) in diameter.
Whisk together the 8 egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar for your circles. Continue to beat until firm peaks form, you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without it falling out.
Scoop into a piping bag and pipe 5 large circles.
Bake at 93ºC (200ºF) for approximately 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
STEP 2: Whisk together your 4 egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar for covering the cake until stiff peaks form. Place half of this mixture into a piping bag.
Place one of you meringue circles onto a fresh sheet of non-stick baking paper. Pipe a circle of meringue on top of it. Carefully place a baked meringue circle on top of that. Pipe another ring of meringue, top with baked circle and repeat until you have stacked all five rings.
Use the remaining meringue mixture to coat the sides of the ‘cake’. Using a clean L shaped ruler to ensure sides are smooth and straight. See video below for details.
Bake at 93ºC (200ºF) for 30 minutes, then continue to bake for another 15 minutes checking it every 5 minutes – you do not want it to brown. Allow to cool.
STEP 3 Royal Icing Details: Place your 1 egg white and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until very stiff, when you turn the beaters off and lift them the mixture that is on the beaters should hold its shape.
Scoop most of the royal icing into a ziplock bag or piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle. Colour the remaining small amount purple and place into a seperate bag.
Transfer your cake to the plate you will be serving it on. Using the white royal icing pipe a border around the top and base of you cake and then pipe a design on the sides. Create contrast with some little purple flowers finished with a silver cachous in the centre.
STEP 4: Fill your cake Wash, dry and dice your fruit, reserve a few pieces uncut for the top. Using an electric mixer whisk the cream until soft peaks form (do not over whip or you will make butter). Fold in the fruit and chopped chocolate if you are using it.
Scoop into the centre of the cake and top with reserved fresh fruit.
Best eaten fresh but you can store in the fridge overnight if you need. A word of warning if you are leaving it in the fridge overnight the meringue will begin to ‘weep’, which means a sugary syrup will start to drain to the bottom of your cake and possibly through your fridge. If you are using a flat cake stand like the one pictured place some paper towel or a plate under the cake stand.
2013
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbookAll recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
FAQs
But not all meringues are the same. There are in fact three major types: French, Swiss, and Italian. The distinction depends on how the key ingredients — egg whites and sugar — are combined and whether any heat is involved in the process.
What is the most stable meringue? ›
Italian meringue is generally considered to be the most stable of the meringues (which makes it suitable for making frosting too), but also, the most difficult to make of the three meringue types.
How long will a meringue cake keep? ›
≈Lemon Meringue Cake
How to best store your cake: keep cake refrigerated. Take out of fridge 30-60 minutes before serving; heat will cause frosting to melt. Store leftover cake in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. Cake will keep for 4-5 days.
What is the purpose of meringue in a cake? ›
Meringue is a common inclusion in many dessert recipes, from buttercreams and cakes to pies and cookies. In addition to being a sweet component of your recipe, meringue adds volume and airiness to your baked goods.
What are the 6 tips in making perfect meringue? ›
How to Make Meringue Successfully
- When making meringues, always cook egg whites to avoid salmonella poisoning.
- Don't use packaged egg whites to make meringue. ...
- Use fresh egg whites. ...
- Use eggs at room temperature. ...
- Never let any yolk get into the whites.
- Don't overbeat egg whites.
A small amount of acidic ingredient, such as cream of tartar, acts as a stabilizing agent. A bit of lemon juice or vinegar will also work. Salt decreases egg-white foam stability, so it is not used in hard meringues. Add sugar gradually.
How long to whip meringue? ›
Whip for about 10 minutes, checking once the meringue looks thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and salt after about 7 minutes, while the mixer is on. To check it, remove the whisk and turn it upside down: does the meringue droop or hold its shape? Once it holds stiff it is done.
What can I add to stiffen meringue? ›
A mild acid will help give your meringue more volume and structure, which means they will inflate more fully and hold the air longer. You don't need much: about 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every two to three egg whites should do the trick.
What must be avoided when making meringue? ›
Excess moisture in the air can seep into meringues and make them soft, even after they are baked, which is why it's best to avoid making meringue on damp days.
How to tell when meringue cake is done? ›
With a cake-tester, pierce the cake that has the flat meringue topping to check it's cooked all through. (It will have risen now but will fall back flattish later.) No sponge mixture should stick to the tester.
Yes, lemon meringue cake needs to be refrigerated. Neither the meringue nor the lemon curd are shelf stable.
What is the best meringue for cake? ›
French meringue made with less sugar is often used to lighten base mixtures such as in a chiffon cake and or flourless cake. French meringue is the least stable of the three meringue types but the lightest and the most airy.
How do you keep meringue cake crispy? ›
The trick is to store the baked, cooled meringues in the freezer, where the dry, cold air prevents them from attracting moisture and losing their crispness. This means you can make plain meringue cookies anytime, yes, but you'll also have so many other desserts waiting at your fingertips.
What are the rules for meringue? ›
Meringue rules: The final verdict
Abide — Avoid yolks; use a non-plastic bowl; add sugar slowly, and bake low and slow. Let slide — Don't pull your hair out if your eggs are cold, you don't have superfine sugar, or it's a humid day.
What are the main types of meringue? ›
There are several types of meringue, with the three most common being French, Swiss and Italian. Each type varies based on preparation, texture and stability. Knowing the difference between the meringues will help you understand when to use each recipe in your baking.
What is the most common type of meringue? ›
How it's Made: The simplest, lightest, and least stable of the three is a French Meringue. Egg whites are whipped with granulated sugar until stiff, without heating the mixture. This meringue type is always baked and has a wonderfully crisp exterior and a chewy interior.
What's the difference between French meringue and Swiss meringue? ›
The recipe for Swiss meringue is slightly different since it consists of egg whites "cooked" by a sugary syrup whipped in a bain-marie. As a result, the Swiss meringue has much less volume than the French meringue but is smoother and silkier and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
What's the difference between French and Italian meringue? ›
French Meringues Vs Italian Meringues for macarons
The making of macarons with Italian meringue dates back to Catherine de Medici and her Italian chefs! The Italian Meringue method involves a hot sugar syrup, and the French meringue method doesn't.
