Frozen Meringue Cake Recipes

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.

FROZEN MERINGUE CAKE WITH SEASONAL BERRIES

Steps:

• Make meringues
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil; butter and flour foil.
• In large bowl using electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Drop 8 (approximately 1/3-cup) mounds of meringue about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets and use spoon to make indentations in centers of mounds.
• Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until crisp but still white, about 45 minutes. Turn oven off and cool meringues in oven 1 hour. Using metal spatula, transfer meringues to rack to cool completely. (Meringue shells can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept in airtight container at room temperature.)
• Make cream and assemble dessert
• Lightly oil 7-inch diameter soufflé dish or ramekin (6 cup capacity).
• In large bowl using electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Chop meringue shells into 1-inch pieces and fold into cream. Transfer mixture to soufflé dish and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, approximately 8 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• To un-mold dessert, fill large bowl 1/3 full of hot water. Run small knife around inside edge of soufflé dish to loosen. Dip dish into bowl of hot water for 2 seconds, being careful not to splash water onto cream. Carefully invert onto serving plate. Arrange berries on top of and around frozen cream and garnish with additional whipped cream.

FROZEN LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 200°F.
• Using the bottom of the springform pan as a guide, draw 2 (8-inch) circles on one sheet of parchment and a third (8-inch) circle on the second sheet of parchment. Turn paper over (circles will be visible).
• Beat whites with cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then increase speed to high and continue beating until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 8 to 10 minutes with a handheld. Divide meringue mixture among 3 circles, spread evenly within lines, and gently smooth tops. Bake until firm and very pale golden, about 2 hours, then let stand in turned-off oven (door closed) until firm, about 1 hour. While meringues bake, put ice cream in refrigerator to soften.
• Slide parchment sheets with meringue layers onto racks to cool completely. Carefully lift meringue and peel off parchment.
• Make curd while meringues bake:
• Whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, yolks, whole eggs, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened and just reaches a boil, about 6 minutes. Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Assemble cake:
• Line springform pan with 2 crisscrossed sheets of plastic wrap. Arrange 1 meringue layer (trimming if necessary) flat side down in springform pan and spread 1 cup ice cream over it, then evenly spread half of lemon curd over ice cream. Cover curd with another meringue layer, then spread remaining cup ice cream over meringue. Spread remaining curd on top, then cover curd with remaining meringue layer, flat side down. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
• About 1 hour before serving, put cake in refrigerator to soften slightly. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to platter, then cut into wedges with a long serrated knife.

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.