Meringue cake with custard and strawberries

A delicious meringue cake that is soft and marshmallowy in the centre and crisp on the outside. Meringue cake with custard and strawberries is a combination that’s impossible to resist. It tastes wonderful, but like most meringue cakes, it doesn’t keep well and should be eaten on the day it is assembled. When strawberries are in season, you simply can’t pass up a dessert like this :).

Ingredients for the meringue layers:

• 6 egg whites (from large eggs)
• a pinch of salt
• 300 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tsp potato starch

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Line two flat baking sheets with baking paper and draw a 23 cm circle on each one (the easiest way is to trace around a plate).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Continue whisking and gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time – this is very important. You should have a thick, glossy meringue. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and whisk briefly. Finally, gently fold in the sifted potato starch.

Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle. Pipe the meringue in rosette shapes, positioning them close together so that they form a single meringue layer. Repeat to make the second layer on the other baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Place both trays in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 120°C. Bake/dry for approximately 2 hours, until the meringue is crisp and fully baked on the outside. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool for at least several hours.

Ingredients for the custard cream:

• 1 packet vanilla custard powder, unsweetened (a packet for 500 ml milk)
• 250 ml milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 250 g mascarpone, chilled

Cook the custard with 3 tbsp sugar according to the instructions on the packet, using 250 ml milk instead of 500 ml. Bring to a boil, cook for a moment, then remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool, then refrigerate until completely chilled.

Place the chilled mascarpone in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip briefly using the whisk attachment. Add the cold custard in three batches, continuing to whisk. The custard will be thick and lumpy at first, but will turn into a smooth custard cream as it is whipped together with the mascarpone.

Additionally:

• 250 g fresh strawberries

Assembly:

Place the first meringue layer on a cake stand. Gently spread half of the custard cream over it, then cover with sliced strawberries. Place the second meringue layer on top, followed by the remaining custard cream and the rest of the sliced strawberries. Refrigerate and serve.

Note: The custard cream can be prepared a day in advance (keep it covered with cling film in the refrigerator) and used to assemble the meringue cake just before serving. This is because a meringue cake filled with custard does not keep well.

Enjoy!