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Nadiya Hussain’s Meringue Cake

A light and easy to make meringue cake featuring fresh cream and fruit sandwiched between sweet meringue and moist sponge.

From the book

Introduction

If you are looking for a simple, light cake, this is the one for you. Two layers of meringue are baked on the thinnest layers of sponge cake, then sandwiched with fresh cream and fruit. Pillowy light but still so satisfying.

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Ingredients

For the cake batter:
125g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp whole milk
For the meringue:
4 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
200g caster sugar
For the filling:
300ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
150g berries, chopped
1 lemon, zest only
cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)

Essential kit

You will need: 2 x 20cm cake tins.

Method

Grease and line two 20cm cake tins. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6.

Start by making the cake batter. Put the butter, sugar, egg yolks, flour, baking powder, vanilla and milk in a bowl and mix till you have a smooth paste.

Divide the mixture between the two tins and use an offset spatula to spread into a thin, even layer on the base of each tin. It doesn’t look like much, but this very thin layer of cake will make a whole lot of difference to the light meringue.

Now, set aside while you make the meringue. Put the egg whites in a clean bowl with the cream of tartar. Whisk till they start to become frothy. Add the sugar, one spoonful at a time, making sure to incorporate each addition and allowing the sugar to dissolve in. Keep adding till there is no sugar left.

Divide the mixture between the two tins, smoothing it down so it sits flush on top of the sponge mix. Flatten the top of one and make peaks on the other.

Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes till golden on top. If the meringue looks like it’s browning too fast, reduce the oven temperature a little towards the end of the cooking time. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tins completely. Once cool, take the flatter meringue out of its tin and place on a serving dish, cake-side down.

Whip the cream with the icing sugar till just thickened and holding soft peaks. Add two-thirds of the chopped berries and lemon zest and fold through. Top the meringue and spread the fruity cream all over in an even layer. Dot the rest of the berries onto it.

Now, top with the other meringue, cake-side down and peaks at the top. Dust with a little cocoa, if you like, and you are ready to eat this pillowy-light, delicious meringue-layer cake.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

3 Ratings

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3 Comments

    default user avatar David

    I’ve made this twice now, the second time was a bit of a disaster in so much as both sponges weren’t cooked properly & fell apart when I took them out the oven! However the first time I made it, I mistakenly put the sponges in the oven before I put the meringue topping on, I realised after about 7 or 8 minutes & quickly took out the oven, allowed to cool a bit, then put the meringue topping on & the cake was perfect. Maybe I should have left in the oven for longer the second time, to allow the sponges to cook, but I think if I’d done that the meringues would have burnt too much

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    default user avatar meringue cake lover

    best cake I ever made

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    default user avatar meringue cake lover

    really good result should definitely try it is probably the best cake I have ever made !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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From the book: Nadiya’s Everyday Baking

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