Recipe: Swedish Meringue Cake with Strawberries and Orange Filling

SWEDISH MERINGUE CAKE WITH
STRAWBERRIES AND ORANGE FILLING

FOR THE CAKE:
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided use
6 large eggs; separated
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds; ground fine in an electric coffee or spice grinder
FOR THE ORANGE FILLING:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 pints strawberries; reserving 11 whole berries for garnish and the remaining ones chopped fine
TO SERVE:
1 cup well-chilled heavy (whipping) cream
2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

TO MAKE THE BATTER:
Line the bottoms of 3 buttered 9- by 2-inch cake pans with rounds of wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour, knocking out the excess.

Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until mixture is light and fluffy, add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and the milk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition, and divide the batter among the prepared pans, spreading and smoothing it.

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE:
In the cleaned bowl with cleaned beaters beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the remaining 1 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat the meringue until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in the almonds gently but thoroughly. (Do not beat in the almonds.)

Spread the meringue over the batter, smoothing it.

Bake the layers in the middle of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, invert the layers onto rack, and discard the wax paper.

The cake layers may be made 1 day in advance and kept wrapped in plastic wrap.

TO MAKE THE ORANGE FILLING:
In a heavy saucepan whisk together the 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and a pinch of salt.

In a bowl whisk together the zests, the juices, and the yolks and whisk the yolk mixture into the sugar mixture until the mixture is combined well. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking, boil it gently, whisking, for 2 minutes, and let it cool, whisking occasionally.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Arrange one of the layers, meringue side up, on a serving plate, spread half the orange filling on it, and spread half the chopped strawberries on the filling. Arrange another layer, meringue side up, on the strawberries, spread the remaining filling on it, and spread the remaining chopped strawberries on the filling. Arrange the remaining layer, meringue side up, on the strawberries.

The cake may be assembled up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap and chilled.

TO SERVE:
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream until it holds soft peaks, beat in the confectioners' sugar, and beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks.

Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a circle of it decoratively around the top edge of the cake. Pipe another circle of cream 1 inch inside the first circle, pipe a rosette in the center, and pipe another circle of cream around the base of the cake.

Quarter lengthwise 10 of the reserved strawberries, arrange them decoratively inside the concentric circles, and arrange the remaining strawberry on the rosette.

Adapted from source: Gourmet, June 1991