Categories: cake
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Basic Meringue Mixture:
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 18 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar
- 1 to 2 drops yellow food coloring
- 1 to 2 drops red food coloring
- 1 to 2 drops green food coloring
- 12 egg whites
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup sifted cake flour
- 1 to 1 1/4 tsp. almond extract
- Italian Meringue Frosting:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 egg whites
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 to 5 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
Directions
-
Basic Meringue Mixture:
- Beat first 4 ingredients at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves.
- Pipe or spread mixture into desired shapes, and bake as directed in recipe.
-
Cake:
- Divide basic Meringue Mixture into thirds. Whisk 1 to 2 drops yellow food coloring into first portion, 1 to 2 drops red food coloring into second portion, and 1 to 2 drops green into third portion. Spoon each portion into a decorating bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe 12 (1-inch) mounds of each color onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours; turn oven off. Let meringues stand in closed oven with light on 8 hours.
- Beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until stiff peaks form. Add sugar, 2 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Fold in almond extract, and spoon into a wax paper lined 12-inch cake or springform pan.
- Bake 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on a wire rack 40 minutes. Run a thin metal spatula around cake edges to loosen; remove from pan, and peel off wax paper.
- Spread Italian Meringue Frosting on top and sides of cake. Mound meringue rounds on top of cake.
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Italian Meringue Frosting:
- Cook sugar, light corn syrup and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, and boil until a candy thermometer registers 248 degrees (about 5 minutes.)
- Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; add salt, and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually whisk hot syrup into egg whites, whisking until stiff peaks form and frosting is of spreading consistency.
- Stir in vanilla and, if desired, food coloring.
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makes 3 1/2 cups