Meringue Cake Food

LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Start by making the curd. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk together. It will look like it has curdled but don't worry - simply put the pan over a low heat and stir constantly until it is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Leave to cool, covered with cling film. Put in the fridge until ready to use, preferably overnight.
• For the caramel sugar syrup, heat the caster sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat until it melts and starts to caramelise. Stir until smooth and a deep golden colour. Remove from the heat and carefully pour in 50ml boiling water. It will steam and spit a little, so take care. (If the sugar hardens, pop the pan back on the heat for 1-2 mins to melt again.) Stir, pour immediately into a heatproof jug and top up with a little extra boiling water (about 10ml) so you have 100ml of liquid in total. Leave on one side to cool.
• To make the cake, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease 3 x 20cm sandwich tins, lining the bases and sides with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 tbsp flour, then add the eggs, a little at a time, beating after each addition until fully combined.
• Mix together the remaining dry ingredients, the lemon zest and 1/2 tsp salt, then fold in to the butter mixture with the caramel sugar syrup. Divide the batter between the tins and level the tops with the back of a wet spoon. Bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peeling off the parchment. Leave to cool completely.
• Make the caramelised lemon slices while the cakes are baking. Slice the lemon into 5mm thick slices, discarding the ends. In a shallow non-stick pan, bring 350ml water and the sugar to the boil. Add the lemon slices, boil for 10 mins, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20-25 mins until the liquid has evaporated and the slices have caramelised. Remove from the pan and put on a non-stick A silicone mat or baking parchment to cool.
• To assemble the cake. Place a sponge the right way up on a cake board or presentation plate. Top with an even layer of curd but don't go right to the edge, leave about 1cm uncovered. Gently put the next sponge on top and repeat the process, putting the last sponge upside down on top.
• To make the Italian meringue, put the sugar and 175ml water in a saucepan and B bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. Continue to boil until it reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer. Meanwhile, put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl (a tabletop mixer is ideal if you have one). Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks (when lifting the whisk out, the peaks should slowly vanish back into the mixture). Whisk the egg whites at high speed and very slowly trickle in the hot syrup. The meringue will C begin to thicken and go glossy after about 10 mins. Continue to whisk until it is still just warm. Use the meringue immediately, as it is easier to work with while warm.
• Using a palette knife, spread a thin layer of meringue around the side of the cake to level and square it up, then spread an even layer about 3mm thick on the top of the cake (see step-by-step for guidance). Put the remaining meringue in a large piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle and pipe vertical columns up the side of the cake, level with the top. Finally, pipe small meringue stars on the top of the columns. It's easier to do this with the cake on a turntable.
• Brown the meringue using a kitchen blowtorch. Finally, cut the caramelised lemon slices in half and use to decorate the top of the cake. Will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• FOR CAKE:.
• Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy.
• Add sugar and beat well.
• Add egg yolks, one at a time and beat until well blended after each addition.
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and 2 teaspoons flavoring.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cocoa. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture; beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition until well blended.
• Stir in the pecans and mix well.
• Fold in the beaten egg whites and pour the batter into 3 well greased 9 inch cake pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove cake to wire racks to cool completely.
• CREAM CHEESE FILLING:.
• Beat the first four ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
• Once the cake cools completely, spread this filling between the layers.
• GANACHE:.
• Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
• Cool until ganache becomes a spreading consistency (stirring often).
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with ganache reserving 1/2 cup.
• MERINGUES:.
• Beat the egg whites, vinegar and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy.
• Gradually add sugar; beating until soft peaks form and sugar dissolves.
• Fold in chocolate.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake at 250°F for 35 minutes.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Once cool, mound meringues on top of cake to form a small mountain, beginning at the sides and working in, layering 3-4 layers high. Drizzle the meringues with the remaining ganache.
• TO SERVE THE CAKE:.
• Before cutting, remove the meringues with small tongs and use them as a garnish on each cake serving.
• TO STORE:.
• IF you have any cake left, store it in the refrigerator without the meringues. Store the meringues in an airtight container at room temperature.

LEMON MERINGUE FRIDGE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Line the base with a row of biscuits. In a bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice, mascarpone, cream, sugar and 50g lemon curd until thick and holding its shape. Transfer roughly 1 /4 of the mixture to a bowl and chill in the fridge for later.
• Layer the mascarpone and biscuits into the tin, and add the remaining lemon curd in spoonfuls between the layers. Break some biscuits to fill any gaps. You should have about four layers of biscuits, finishing with a layer of cream. Wrap the tin in cling film and chill for at least 8 hrs, or up to 48 hrs.
• When you're ready to serve, unwrap the tin and turn the pudding out onto a platter or board. Peel off the parchment. Crush 4 of the mini meringues to a rubble texture and stir through the reserved mascarpone mix. Spread across the top of the pudding, then press the remaining mini meringues and lemon slices on top. Leftovers will keep for one day.

MERINGUE CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• The night before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
• Line a lipped cookie sheet (approximately 12 by 18 inches) with parchment paper. Trace two side-by-side rectangles - about 5 inches by 12 or 13 inches - on the paper. Crumple the paper, then smooth it out again and line the bottom of the pan.
• Whisk together confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they turn from foamy to white and beaters just start to leave a trail. On low speed, add sugar mixture, a heaping tablespoon at a time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat to the consistency of marshmallow cream, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Just before forming meringues, flick water onto parchment with fingertips. Divide meringue in half, spooning two or three mounds down each traced rectangle. Use a rubber spatula, or a cake decorator's metal offset spatula, to fill in and even out rectangles.
• Set meringues in oven, close door and turn oven off (but leave oven light on). Let meringues dry overnight. Remove, then carefully set a wire rack or cookie sheet over meringues. Invert; peel off parchment and turn right side up. (It's OK if edges chip.) Wrap in foil and set aside until ready to proceed.
• No more than two hours before serving, whip cream to soft peaks, beating in remaining sugar and the vanilla. Set one meringue on a platter. Spread with half the cream and sprinkle on half the berries. Repeat with remaining meringue, cream and berries. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve.

LEMON MERINGUE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Place fresh, cold egg whites and cold water in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Set aside until they are 60 degrees, or slightly below room temperature.
• Pour flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and salt into a triple sifter or sieve. Sift onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. Adjust rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set nearby a dry, un-greased 10inch tube pan. Such a pan allows the batter to cling to the sides and rise to its full height. Place a long-necked bottle or large metal funnel nearby for inverting the baked cake.
• Whip egg whites, preferably with a whisk attachment until frothy. Add cream of tartar and whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Continue whipping and gradually add the 1 cup granulated sugar until whites have thickened and form soft droopy white peaks. Add the vanilla and lemon zest in the final moments of whipping.
• Sprinkle one-quarter of the flour mixture over the whites, and with a rubber spatula, fold into the whites. Repeat this process with the remaining flour mixture, folding in only one-quarter of the flour mixture at a time. Gently pour the batter into an un-greased tube pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is light golden, the cake feels spongy and springs back when touched, and a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of cake. Invert cake onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Cool completely before removing from pan.
• To remove cake from the pan, slip just the tip of a small metal spatula between the cake and pan. Slowly trace the perimeter to release any cake sticking to the pan. Tilt the cake pan on its side, and gently tap the bottom against the counter to loosen the cake. Rotate the cake pan, tapping as you turn it a few more times, until it appears free. Cover the cake with a rack or cardboard round, and at the same time that you invert the cake onto the work surface, tap it firmly onto the surface. Lift the pan from the cake.
• For the filling: In a 1 1/2 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk briefly to combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the pieces of butter, and place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly over the entire bottom. Cook the mixture without boiling until it begins to develop body and thicken. Remove from heat and pour through a stainless steel sieve into a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, poke a few small slits in the plastic with the tip of a paring blade allowing steam to escape while cooling. Refrigerate (curd will thicken).
• For the frosting: In a 3-cup saucepan, combine the water and 2/3 cup sugar. Place over low heat to dissolve the sugar, then increase the heat to medium high and boil, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees. (Wash down any sugar crystals slinging to the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water.) Near the end of the boiling time, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar, and continue to whip until the whites are stiff but not dry. With the mixer running, pour the syrup onto the whipped whites. Continue to whip on medium speed, about 3 minutes more. Mixture will thicken, cool and form glossy, stiff peaks. Add the vanilla. Cool to room temperature, about 8 to 10 minutes, then frost cake right away.
• Assembling the dessert: Cut cake into three layers. Spread the lemon filling equally between the two layers; top with remaining layer. Frost top and sides of cake with Italian Meringue Frosting.

GOOD MERINGUE

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture forms stiff peaks.

LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the lemon curd: Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until melted, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
• Make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan; add the cream of tartar and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a platter; spread the lemon curd on top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the second cake layer and press down gently. Cover the cake with the meringue, using the back of a spoon to make swirly peaks. Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.)
• Mix 1/2 cup water with the cream in a liquid measuring cup or bowl. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and the centers spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

LEMON MERINGUE ANGEL CAKE

Steps:

• Place 12 egg whites in a large bowl. Sift 1/2 cup sugar and flour together twice; set aside. , Add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. , Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on lowest oven rack at 350° until golden brown and entire top appears dry, 35-40 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour., Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake; split into 2 horizontal layers. Place cake bottom on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread with lemon curd; replace cake top. , For meringue, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread over top and sides of cake., Bake at 350° until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. Refrigerate leftovers.