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italian meringue cake

(1 rating)
ElectraCutie avatar
Recipe by
Helen Garvey
@ElectraCutie
San Francisco, CA

This recipe can be altered to fit the season. I usually make it in the late spring through early autumn, when berries are plentiful. But it can be made year round by using canned mandarin oranges. (You can, in a pinch, use frozen, thawed, fruit, but if you do, be sure to drain well and pat dry.) This cake has never failed to get rave reviews, and I've been asked for the recipe by more times than I can remember.

(1 rating)
yield 10 serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 35 Min

Ingredients For italian meringue cake

  • 1-2 Tbsp
    butter (or use non-stick cooking spray
  • 4
    egg whites
  • 1 - 1/2 c
    granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla extract (do not use imitation vanilla if you can help it.)
  • 1/2 tsp
    baking powder
  • pinch
    salt
  • 1 c
    chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 25 - 30
    amaretti cookies, broken into 1/2-inch chunks
  • FOR FROSTING
  • 8 oz
    mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 c
    sour cream
  • 1 c
    powdered sugar
  • 2-1/2 tsp
    amaretto liqueur (or vanilla, if you prefer)
  • 1-1/2 lb
    raspberries, for decorating (or fruit of choice)

How To Make italian meringue cake

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9" spring-form pan
  • 2
    In an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar slowly, on low-to-medium speed. Return speed to high and add 1 tsp vanilla, baking powder and salt. Beat 2 more minutes. (Maybe a tad more.)
  • 3
    Gently fold in the chopped nuts and broken up amaretti cookies. Transfer to prepared springform pan.
  • 4
    Bake for 30-40 minutes - watching carefully; you want it nicely browned, but it can go from browned to burned in a heartbeat.
  • 5
    For the frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar and Amaretto (or vanilla, if you prefer) until soft peaks form and mixture is smooth. (All ingredients should be at room temperature or mixture may turn out grainy.)
  • 6
    To assemble: Remove cake from oven, let cool for 15 - 20 minutes. Release from pan and place on rack. When completely cool, place on cake plate* and, using offset spatula, spread frosting all over cake. Garnish with berries or other fruit. *Cake may sink a bit on top as it cools, but the frosting covers a multitude of sins, so to speak. I use a cake pedestal to show it off, as this one is an eye-popper!
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!

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