Praline Meringue Cake With Strawberries Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1, and line two flat baking sheets with baking parchment. Whizz about two-thirds of the toasted almonds in a food processor until chopped. Don't let them start to look greasy or clump together - they should still be in pieces rather than ground. Roughly chop the remaining third with a knife.
• Stir the sugars together. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff, then add the sugar in three batches, beating the mixture back to stiff after each addition. Add the cornflour and vinegar, and keep going until the meringue mixture is glossy and so stiff that the beaters begin to feel heavy when stirring - this can take up to 5 mins.
• Quickly fold in all of the finely chopped nuts and most of the roughly chopped with a spatula, then divide the mixture between the two baking sheets. Spread both into 20cm circles, then scatter the remaining chopped nuts over. Bake for 1 hr, then turn the oven off and leave the meringues inside to cool for at least 1 hr. Leave the oven door closed (this will help to prevent them cracking). Will keep overnight in an airtight container, or freeze, wrapped in cling film, for up to 1 month.
• For the strawberry sauce, purée 600g of the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Press through a sieve to remove the seeds, then sweeten with 2 tbsp of the icing sugar. Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Sieve the remaining icing sugar into the double cream, whip until it just holds its shape, then carefully swirl through two-thirds of the sauce.
• To serve, slide one of the meringues off its baking parchment onto a serving plate, then spread over half the cream. Place the second meringue on top, pile over the rest of the cream and top with the remaining strawberries. Dust with a little more icing sugar if you like, and serve the leftover strawberry sauce alongside.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, orange juice, egg yolks and orange peel.
• Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.
• Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until foamy.
• Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
• Spread the meringue even over both pans of cake batter.
• Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.
• Cool in pans on wire racks (meringue will crack).
• Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
• Mash 1/2 cup of strawberries with remaining sugar; fold into whipped cream.
• Loosen edges of cakes from pans with a knife.
• Using two large spatulas, carefully remove one cake to a serving platter, meringue side up.
• Carefully spread with about two-thirds of the cream mixture.
• Slice the remaining berries; arrange half over cream mixture.
• Repeat layers.
• Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, orange juice, egg yolks and orange zest; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans; set aside. , In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread the meringue evenly over cake batter. , Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool in pans on wire racks (meringue will crack). , Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Mash 1/2 cup of strawberries with remaining sugar; fold into whipped cream. , Loosen edges of cakes from pans with a knife. Using two large spatulas, carefully remove one cake to a serving platter, meringue side up. Carefully spread with about two-thirds of the cream mixture. Slice the remaining berries; arrange half over cream mixture. Repeat layers. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• The night before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
• Line a lipped cookie sheet (approximately 12 by 18 inches) with parchment paper. Trace two side-by-side rectangles - about 5 inches by 12 or 13 inches - on the paper. Crumple the paper, then smooth it out again and line the bottom of the pan.
• Whisk together confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they turn from foamy to white and beaters just start to leave a trail. On low speed, add sugar mixture, a heaping tablespoon at a time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat to the consistency of marshmallow cream, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Just before forming meringues, flick water onto parchment with fingertips. Divide meringue in half, spooning two or three mounds down each traced rectangle. Use a rubber spatula, or a cake decorator's metal offset spatula, to fill in and even out rectangles.
• Set meringues in oven, close door and turn oven off (but leave oven light on). Let meringues dry overnight. Remove, then carefully set a wire rack or cookie sheet over meringues. Invert; peel off parchment and turn right side up. (It's OK if edges chip.) Wrap in foil and set aside until ready to proceed.
• No more than two hours before serving, whip cream to soft peaks, beating in remaining sugar and the vanilla. Set one meringue on a platter. Spread with half the cream and sprinkle on half the berries. Repeat with remaining meringue, cream and berries. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve.