Valentine’s Day meringue cake
This pretty pink meringue cake is inspired by the classic Eton Mess, with layers of crisp meringue, fluffy whipped cream and fresh raspberries. It’s a lovely dessert for Valentine’s Day, especially with its delicate pink colour ;). You can make the meringue layers round, as usual, or shape them into hearts for an extra romantic touch. A beautiful centrepiece for a Valentine’s dinner and a delicious way to end the evening!
The meringue layers can be baked a day ahead and left uncovered in the cooling oven overnight. For the best results, assemble the cake on the day you plan to serve it, so the meringue stays as crisp as possible.
Ingredients for the 3 meringue layers:
- 6 egg whites, from large eggs (approximately 40 g each)
- a pinch of salt
- 300 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp potato starch
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- a tiny amount of pink gel or paste food colouring (I used Wilton Pink)
Line three flat baking trays with baking paper and draw a 20 cm circle on each sheet. I was able to fit two circles on one tray, so I only needed two trays.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk with the salt until stiff peaks form. Towards the end of whisking, gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously. This is very important! Add the food colouring and whisk briefly until the colour is evenly distributed. The meringue should be thick and glossy. Sift in the potato starch, add the vinegar or lemon juice and whisk briefly to combine. Divide the meringue evenly between the three circles and smooth the surfaces.
Bake all three trays together in a fan-assisted oven at 140°C for 1 hour. If your oven tends to brown meringue too quickly, bake at 120°C for about 1 hour and 10 minutes instead. The meringue layers will rise, and their surfaces may crack. Leave them to cool in the switched-off oven with the door closed. The finished layers should be crisp on the outside, with a soft, delicate, marshmallow-like centre.
Note: If you cannot bake all three layers at once, bake them separately, making a fresh batch of meringue immediately before baking each layer.
Additionally:
- 450 ml double cream, chilled
- seeds from 1 vanilla pod
- 300 g fresh raspberries
- icing sugar, for dusting
Whip the double cream with the vanilla seeds until stiff peaks form.
To assemble:
Layer the meringue discs with the whipped cream and fresh raspberries, reserving some of the cream and raspberries to decorate the top. Dust with icing sugar.
Keep the cake in the refrigerator and serve as soon as possible after assembling, as the meringue will gradually soften as it absorbs moisture from the cream.
Enjoy!
