Meringue Stack Cake with Whipped Cream, Lemon Curd, and Berries
This stack cake uses vegan (aquafaba) meringue layers. If is filled with whipped cream and lemon curd so if you want a suitable vegan filling try my whipped coconut cream.
180ml| 6fl oz aquafabawater drained from a 400g/14oz can of chickpeas
360g| 12 1/2 ozcaster sugar
1tbspcream of tartar or arrowroot
1tspcider vinegar
1tspvanilla paste
Filling and topping
300ml| 10fl oz double or whipping cream
200g| 7oz icing sugar
1tspvanilla paste
lemon or berry curdstore bought or homemade
about 100g | 3.5oz fresh berries to decorate and fill
blueberriescherries, blackberries
grated lemon zest or icing sugar to dust
edible flowersoptional to decorate
Instructions
Drain the water from a 400g/14oz can of chickpeas and chill in the fridge until cold.
Preheat the oven to 150C (300F). Line two baking trays with non stick baking paper. Trace circles, spaced slightly apart, on the paper using a bowl or plate as a guide. My layers were quite small but there's enough meringue for at least 3-4 20cm/8in layers.
Put the aquafaba in the clean bowl of your stand mixer and start whisking on medium-low speed until it starts to froth up. Add the vinegar and whisk it in.
Increase the speed to maximum and continue whisking until you have soft peaks and the mixture is almost doubled in size, light and fluffy.
Mix the sugar and cream of tartar together. Start adding the sugar mixture, a tablespoon at a time, while whisking at high speed. Continue to whisk until you have firm, glossy peaks.
Add the vanilla and whisk until incorporated. You will have a large bowl of marshmallowy meringue.
Transfer the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe circles over the baking paper (following your tracings). Pipe some meringue kisses around your large circles.
Reduce the oven temperature to 120C /250F (or as low as 110C/230F) and then bake the meringues for an hour and a half to two hours. The meringues should feel dry and firm to the touch.
Turn the oven off and leave the trays to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
Whip the double cream, vanilla and icing sugar until you have firm peaks. Take care not to over whip or the cream will separate and become grainy. Transfer to a piping bag.
Pipe circles of the whipped cream over your meringue layers and add a little lemon curd over each layer. Scatter with a few berries and sandwich together (my cake was four layers - any taller and it will be hard to slice).
Pipe a little more cream on the top and then pile a selection of fresh berries and a few of the meringue kisses to decorate. Sprinkle with some grated lemon or a dusting of icing sugar and serve immediately.