Anyway the other week I thought I'd try my hand at a meringue cake, two layers of meringue made in sandwich tins. Baked this way it makes a perfect birthday cake without any flour, also you could fill it with a dairy free cream.
If you want to make these a few days earlier bake longer and slower (about 8 hrs). They won't be marshmallowy but once you've sandwiched together it will hold up much longer and if you pop in the fridge for a few hours before serving the meringues start to give.
It is imperative to line the sides as well as the bottom of the tins to achieve removal of the meringues, so please don't be tempted to just line the bottoms.
250g caster sugar
600ml double cream
200g dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
200g double cream
3 macarons
3 sticks cadburys dairy milk chocolate
1 pkt giant chocolate buttons
1 pkt maltesers
30 raspberries
30 blackberries
Toffee popcorn
Glitter Spray
Line and grease (with sunflower oil) 2x8inch loose bottomed sandwich tins bottom and sides.
Preheat the oven 120˚c
In a scrupulously clean bowl whisk the egg whites to a medium peak, now with the whisk still running very slowly add the caster sugar a little at a time. Continue whisking until the meringue is very firm, glossy and should be completely smooth when a little is rubbed between your finger and thumb.
Spoon equal amounts into your prepared tins. Turn the oven down to 100˚c and bake for 31/2 hours, turn the oven off and leave the door ajar, leave the meringues in the oven until both are completely cold. (For AGA's bake for 41/2 hours in the simmering oven).
Remove from the tins, remove papers. Whisk 600ml of cream until soft peaks.
Heat 200ml of cream to boiling point, leave to cool for a couple of minutes before pouring over the pieces of dark chocolate, stir until smooth and glossy, put to one side until room temp.
Place one of the meringues onto a serving plate and cover with two thirds of the whipped cream, add two thirds of the berries over the cream, drizzle with the cooled ganache top with the second meringue, add the cream and decorate to your preference.
This one is filled and topped with the same amount of whipped
cream but I used black cherry compote in place of ganache
along with more berries and flowers replacing the chocolate.
A real simple one this time, a little vanilla extract was
added to the cream then I swirled 3 heaped tbsp of strawberry
jam through the cream for the centre of the cake. Filled and topped with
fresh strawberries and finished with some tiny mint leaves.
