Twice-Baked Meringue Cake
A textural masterpiece, this twice-baked, two-layered treat combines white cake with an airy Vanilla Meringue. The moist cake and crunchy meringue need to be baked separately due to different baking times, so we bake the cake first, then top it with meringue and bake a second time. Our Brown Sugar Rum Sauce poured over the meringue after baking brings buttery, boozy flavor to round out the dessert.
Twice-Baked Meringue Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (224 grams) granulated sugar1¾ cups (219 grams) cake flour2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt½ cup (120 grams) whole milk, room temperature3 tablespoons (45 grams) dark spiced rum4 large egg whites (120 grams), room temperatureVanilla Meringue (recipe follows)Brown Sugar Rum Sauce (recipe follows)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. (See Notes.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and rum. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Transfer batter to a large bowl; set aside.
Clean bowl of stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold half of egg whites into batter. Fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top if necessary.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. (You do not want the cake to cool completely. If completely cool, it will affect the bake time for the meringue.) Run a knife around edges of pan. Open pan, and place strips of parchment paper around cake, letting an excess of 2½ inches extend up sides. Close pan back around cake.
Spoon about one-third of Vanilla Meringue on top of cake. (You want to handle the meringue as little as possible, so this does not need to be a measured amount.) Spread into an even layer. Spoon remaining Vanilla Meringue in center of cake, and gently spread around center of cake so there is less meringue on outside edge, leaving about a ¼ inch border between meringue layer and cake pan. (If there is too much meringue pushed to outside edge, the meringue may collapse when out of the oven.)
Return cake to oven, and loosely cover with foil; immediately reduce oven temperature to 325°F (170°C). Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C), and bake until meringue is dry to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes more. Let cool completely in pan. Serve with Brown Sugar Rum Sauce.
Notes
PRO TIP: To ensure our cake came out perfectly flat, we insulated the outside of the cake pan with oven-safe cake strips, available in the baking aisle of your local grocery store or online. (We used Wilton Bake-Even Strips.) Soak strips in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, and then remove excess water but do not wring it out. Wrap strips around pan. We used two strips to cover height of pan. This is not necessary for the recipe to work, but it makes a prettier final product.
Vanilla Meringue
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
3 large egg whites (90 grams), room temperature¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar¾ teaspoon (3.75 grams) apple cider vinegar¼ teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract2 teaspoons (6 grams) cornstarch
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon (12 grams) at a time, beating each addition for 30 seconds before adding the next. Once all sugar has been added, scrape sides of bowl. Continue beating until sugar is dissolved, 7 to 8 minutes. (To test meringue for doneness, rub a small amount between two fingers; if you feel any sugar granules, it is not ready. It should feel completely smooth.) Add vinegar and vanilla, beating until combined. Sift cornstarch over meringue mixture, and beat until combined. Use immediately.
Brown Sugar Rum Sauce
Makes about ¾ cup
Ingredients
¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar¼ teaspoon kosher salt¼ cup (60 grams) heavy whipping cream1 tablespoon (15 grams) dark spiced rum1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar and salt. Add cream, rum, and vanilla, and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
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