This light and airy Meringue Cake with fresh strawberries and cream is perfect for summer! Crisp layers of meringue sandwiched with freshly whipped cream and luscious strawberries – truly sensational.
⅔cup(170ml) egg whites (from a carton)or from 5-6 large eggs
1 ¼cups(255g) granulated sugar
1tspvanilla vanilla bean paste or extract
¼tspcream of tartaror lemon juice (optional)
Whipped Cream
1 ½cups(360ml) heavy cream (double cream)
4tbsppowdered sugar(icing sugar)
1tspvanilla vanilla bean paste or extract
Strawberry syrup
½cup(80g) fresh strawberriespureéd in food processor
½cup(100g) sugar
1tbsplemon juice
Filling / Topping
3cups(240g) fresh strawberriessliced (more if needed)
Powdered sugar to dust
Instructions
Make the meringue layers
Preheat the oven to 120C / 250 F. Trace two 7 inch circle on a piece of baking paper or use silicone mats.
Put all the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer and briefly mix together with a balloon whisk.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double boiler method) ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Stir constantly with your balloon whisk until the sugar dissolves and the egg whites are 80C /175F if checked with a thermometer. If you haven’t got a thermometer check the mixture with your fingers - the sugar should be dissolved and not feel gritty.
Fit the bowl in your stand mixer and start whisking at high speed for 5-10 minutes until the meringue is glossy and holds firm peaks.
Spread on the baking paper to form two rounds.
Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 90°C (195°F). Bake for a further 80 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue layers inside the oven cool for a couple of hours.
Make the strawberry syrup
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. Cool completely before using. If you like you can strain the syrup to remove the seeds and pulp.
Make the whipped cream
When you are ready to assemble your dessert, whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla paste at low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until the cream forms soft peaks.
Assemble the meringue cake
Carefully transfer one meringue layer onto a platter or cake stand.
Spoon or pipe half of the cream over the meringue. Drizzle with the syrup and top with sliced strawberries.
Repeat with the second layer, piling the strawberries over the top. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
The most important thing to remember when making meringue is that grease/fat is the enemy! Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean. Wipe them with some lemon juice or vinegar to make extra sure!Oven temperature is the other big factor – a pavlova is not actually BAKED but essentially dried in low oven temperature. If the oven is too hot the pavlova will turn an unsightly brown and may dry out too much. Cooking long and slow allows the pavlova to become crisp on the inside and slightly marshmallowy within. Leaving the pavlova to cool in the oven after it has been turned off ensures it will remain free of cracks.