Strawberry Meringue Cake
This light, flourless cake recipe features crispy, chewy rounds of almond meringue layered with strawberries and whipped cream. For the best results, avoid making the meringue layers on an overly humid or rainy day. The moisture prevents proper crisping. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2014
Ingredients
Directions
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Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.
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Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and just golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.
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Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees .
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Add 1/4 cup sugar to the almonds; pulse until finely ground. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff (see Tip). Gently fold in the almond mixture.
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Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw an 8-inch circle in the center of each to use as a guide; turn the paper over. Evenly spread about 2 1/2 cups of the meringue into an 8-inch round on each baking sheet. Bake the meringues on the upper and lower racks for 1 hour.
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Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees . Switch the positions of the baking sheets and continue baking until the meringues feel firm when gently touched, about 1 hour more.
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Turn off the oven and let the meringues sit with the door ajar until cool, about 1 hour. (The exterior may crack in spots as they cool.)
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When ready to assemble the cake, whip cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Carefully transfer one meringue layer to a cake plate and spread with 1/2 cup of the whipped cream. Top with half of the strawberries and another 1/2 cup of whipped cream. Place the second meringue layer over the filling and top with the remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
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Just before serving, arrange the remaining strawberries on top of the cake.
Tips
Make Ahead Tip: Store cooled meringue layers (Steps 1-7) in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) for up to 1 day. Refrigerate the assembled cake for up to 4 hours.
Equipment: Parchment paper
When egg whites are beaten to “soft” peaks, the whites will still be soft enough to curl over. The whites are considered “stiff” peaks when they remain stiff and upright in the bowl on the beater.
Nutrition Facts
2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 lean meat, 3 1/2 fat