Recipe: Cream Meringue Tart with Whipped Cream and Berries

Cream Meringue Tart with Whipped Cream and Berries
recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-09-06
From: calliope,.NY

You can make the cake a day ahead, but don't assemble it till just before serving time. But it is a bit fragile and I prefer to make it the day I serve it.
The leftovers are still wonderful...if you even have any!...and must be refrigerated, but it's at its best, fresh.

Preheat oven to 325. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Cut 2 rounds of wax paper to fit the bottom of 2 round cake pans

1/4 cup butter beaten well with;
1/2 cup sugar, added gradually
4-egg yolks beaten in, one at a time, till light and fluffy with 1-tsp. vanilla
* saving the whites for the meringue *

1-cup cake flour
1-tsp. baking powder
1/4-tsp. salt...sift all three together and add, alternately with;
5-Tbsp. cream

Spread into the pans. The batter is somewhat stiff and there isn't much of it
This is not a mistake, so don't worry!

4-remaining egg whites beaten till stiff, but not dry.
1-cup sugar, added very gradually.
When its all added, beat for another 7 minutes
And last beat in 1-tsp. vanilla

Spread this meringue crudely over the top of the cake batter and stud the top with a total of 1/3-cup slivered almonds...half in each pan.

Bake about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans till just barely warm on the bottom. Run a sharp knife around the rim of the meringue and gently pry up an edge till you can get at the wax paper.
Lift out, remove the paper and place one side meringue side down on a serving plate, the other, ride side up on a rack while you make the filling.

Spread some berries on the cake-side-up layer on the plate.
*...its raspberries for me!!! *
Whip a pint of cream with or without sugar and another tsp. of vanilla.
Spread over the berries and top meringue side up with the second layer.

*** Drool while you do this!...but not actually on the cake! ***

Sit down and inhale this fabulous dessert...it is my ALL TIME favorite and so beautiful to look at...really impresses company and really not hard to do at all!.......ENJOY!