Frozen Meringue Cake Recipes

FROZEN PASSION FRUIT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• Draw 3 (14- by 3-inch) rectangles, about 3/4 inch apart, on parchment. Turn paper over (rectangles will be visible) and put it on a lightly buttered large baking sheet.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then increase speed to high and continue beating until whites hold stiff glossy peaks, about 4 minutes with a standing mixer or 8 to 10 minutes with a handheld. Transfer meringue to pastry bag fitted with 1/3-inch tip and fill in rectangles completely. Gently smooth tops, then bake in middle of oven until firm and very pale golden, 45 to 60 minutes. Slide meringue layers (on parchment) onto a large rack. Cool completely, then carefully peel off parchment.
• Make mousse while meringues bake:
• Melt butter with cornstarch, passion-fruit pulp, and 3/4 cup sugar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Whisk together whole egg and yolks in a large bowl until combined, then add butter mixture in a stream, whisking. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until thick enough to hold mark of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer curd immediately to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring occasionally, until cold.
• Beat cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold 2 cups whipped cream into curd gently but thoroughly to form a mousse (for filling and icing).
• Transfer 3/4 cup whipped cream to a small bowl and reserve, chilled, for cream layer. Fold 1/2 cup mousse into remaining whipped cream, then transfer to cleaned pastry bag fitted with 1/8-inch tip and reserve, chilled, for decorative icing.
• Assemble cake and freeze:
• Arrange 1 meringue layer, flat side down, on platter and spread evenly with 3/4 cup mousse. Cover with another meringue layer and spread evenly with reserved whipped cream. Cover with remaining meringue layer, flat side up, and spread remaining mousse evenly over top and sides of cake, smoothing with a cake spatula. Pipe icing decoratively on top of cake, then freeze, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours.
• About 1 hour before serving, put cake in refrigerator to soften slightly.

FROZEN LEMON CREAM MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the meringue layers:
• Line a buttered baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and on it trace 2 squares, using the top and bottom of a 9-inch-square pan as a guide (one square will be slightly larger than the other). In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating, and beat the whites until they hold stiff, glossy peaks. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip, pipe it to fill in the squares, and smooth the tops. Bake the meringues in the middle of a preheated 275°F. oven for 1 hour, or until they are firm when touched lightly and very pale golden. Remove the meringues with the parchment from the baking sheets, let them cool, and peel off the parchment carefully. With a serrated knife trim the meringue layers so that the smaller one will just fit inside the bottom of the pan and the larger will just fit inside the top of the pan. Reserve the trimmings.
• Oil the pan with vegetable oil and line it with plastic wrap, leaving about a 5-inch overhang all around. Put the smaller meringue layer, smooth side down, in the lined pan. Stir the reserved meringue trimmings, crumbled, into the lemon cream, pour the filling into the pan, smoothing it, and top it with the remaining meringue layer, smooth side up, pressing gently. Fold the plastic-wrap overhang over the top to enclose the cake. Freeze the cake, wrapped well, overnight, or until it is frozen solid.
• Make the icing:
• In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over the orange-flavored liqueur, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved. In a bowl beat the cream until it just holds stiff peaks, add the gelatin mixture in a stream, beating, and beat the icing until it holds stiff peaks.
• Unwrap the cake and unmold it onto a serving plate, discarding the plastic wrap. Spread a thin layer of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. Transfer the remaining icing to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip (such as basketwork one) and pipe it over the cake. Chill the cake for no more that 1 1/2 hours, decorate it with the lemon slices and leaves, and cut it into squares with a serrated knife.
• Make the lemon cream:
• In a heavy saucepan melt the butter with the sugar, the cornstarch, the lemon juice, and the zest over moderately low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. In a bowl whisk together lightly the whole egg and the yolks and add the butter mixture in a stream whisking. Transfer the mixture to the pan and cook it over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the curd is thick enough to hold the mark of the whisk and the first bubble appears on the surface. Transfer the curd immediately to a bowl, cover its surface with plastic wrap, and let the curd cool. Chill the curd, covered with the plastic wrap, for 1 hour, or until it is cold. Whisk the yogurt into the curd, chill the lemon cream, and serve it with berries or as a filling for frozen lemon cream meringue cake. Makes about 3 cups.

LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the lemon curd: Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until melted, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
• Make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan; add the cream of tartar and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a platter; spread the lemon curd on top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the second cake layer and press down gently. Cover the cake with the meringue, using the back of a spoon to make swirly peaks. Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.)
• Mix 1/2 cup water with the cream in a liquid measuring cup or bowl. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and the centers spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

FROZEN MERINGUE CAKE WITH SEASONAL BERRIES

Steps:

• Make meringues
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil; butter and flour foil.
• In large bowl using electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Drop 8 (approximately 1/3-cup) mounds of meringue about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets and use spoon to make indentations in centers of mounds.
• Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until crisp but still white, about 45 minutes. Turn oven off and cool meringues in oven 1 hour. Using metal spatula, transfer meringues to rack to cool completely. (Meringue shells can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept in airtight container at room temperature.)
• Make cream and assemble dessert
• Lightly oil 7-inch diameter soufflé dish or ramekin (6 cup capacity).
• In large bowl using electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Chop meringue shells into 1-inch pieces and fold into cream. Transfer mixture to soufflé dish and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, approximately 8 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• To un-mold dessert, fill large bowl 1/3 full of hot water. Run small knife around inside edge of soufflé dish to loosen. Dip dish into bowl of hot water for 2 seconds, being careful not to splash water onto cream. Carefully invert onto serving plate. Arrange berries on top of and around frozen cream and garnish with additional whipped cream.

FROZEN LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 200°F.
• Using the bottom of the springform pan as a guide, draw 2 (8-inch) circles on one sheet of parchment and a third (8-inch) circle on the second sheet of parchment. Turn paper over (circles will be visible).
• Beat whites with cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then increase speed to high and continue beating until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 8 to 10 minutes with a handheld. Divide meringue mixture among 3 circles, spread evenly within lines, and gently smooth tops. Bake until firm and very pale golden, about 2 hours, then let stand in turned-off oven (door closed) until firm, about 1 hour. While meringues bake, put ice cream in refrigerator to soften.
• Slide parchment sheets with meringue layers onto racks to cool completely. Carefully lift meringue and peel off parchment.
• Make curd while meringues bake:
• Whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, yolks, whole eggs, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened and just reaches a boil, about 6 minutes. Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Assemble cake:
• Line springform pan with 2 crisscrossed sheets of plastic wrap. Arrange 1 meringue layer (trimming if necessary) flat side down in springform pan and spread 1 cup ice cream over it, then evenly spread half of lemon curd over ice cream. Cover curd with another meringue layer, then spread remaining cup ice cream over meringue. Spread remaining curd on top, then cover curd with remaining meringue layer, flat side down. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
• About 1 hour before serving, put cake in refrigerator to soften slightly. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to platter, then cut into wedges with a long serrated knife.

LEMON MERINGUE ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Line the base of a 20cm round springform cake tin with greaseproof paper. Cut the Madeira cake into 1cm slices and use to line the base of the tin. Fill in the gaps between the slices with small pieces of cake.
• Break the meringues into pieces and put into a large bowl. Tip in all the crème fraîche and fold together. Dollop large spoonfuls of the meringue mixture and lemon curd into the tin. Don't stir. Spread level with a palette knife, then tap the tin on the counter surface to make sure the mixture is packed down. Freeze for at least 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, remove the cake from the tin and put on a serving plate. Decorate with red summer berries.