Lucuma meringue cake - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Kitchen

This recipe already existed on the blog, but over the years I've learned little tricks to make it look better and show off this lucuma meringue cake, which is not difficult to make at all.

Ingredients · Servings 12

6 large egg whites
1 cup of fine granulated sugar plus 5 tablespoons
a pinch of salt
3 cups of fresh heavy cream
1 (400 grams) container of sweet lucuma puree (sold at Jumbo along with the jams), or (in the US) 1/3 cup of lucuma powder plus 3 tablespoons of sugar

Method · PT-497396H57M17S

Before making the meringue, draw 4 circles of 20-22 cm in diameter on parchment paper or silicone baking paper (do not use parchment paper, it doesn't work; if you can use Silpat or aluminum foil), cut them out leaving a handle and place them on the baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 200F or 100 C.
Place the egg whites in a large bowl with the salt and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form and hold their shape when lifted (do not bend). Add the sugar slowly while continuing to beat at medium speed, then continue beating at high speed for about 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is silky smooth and no sugar granules are felt when you take a small amount and rub it between your fingers.
Place the meringue in a Ziploc bag or piping bag with a round tip. If using a bag, cut off one corner, leaving a 1 cm opening. Pipe concentric circles of meringue onto the pre-cut circles, working from the outside in. Smooth with a knife or leave as is.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours; the discs should feel dry to the touch but not brown. Let them cool in the oven. Once cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, keeping them on the parchment paper, and store for up to 2-3 days. The meringue is fragile, so handle it gently.
Chill the bowl where you will whip the cream. Place the cream in the bowl and whip at high speed until it forms soft peaks. Add the lucuma puree or sugar and powder and whip for 1 minute at high speed until fully incorporated.
Assemble the cake by alternating layers of meringue (remove the parchment paper) and lucuma cream. Cover completely with cream and decorate with slivered almonds toasted in the oven or a pan. Store the cake frozen and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Serve chilled or remove 30 minutes before serving.

The key to making cakes relaxed is to bake the sponges or meringue discs, as applicable, and the filling (if it's ganache, sauces, cooked fruit, lemon curd, etc.) two days before the party. Then, the next day, all you have to do is whip the cream to Chantilly and mix it with whatever you're using. Then fill and decorate.

Most cakes improve with a day of resting in the refrigerator; the flavors meld and the sponge becomes moister. Meringue cakes are best frozen so the meringue doesn't melt.

The day of the party is about serving and enjoying.

Why is meringue cake sold frozen?

Meringue absorbs moisture and loses its crispness very quickly. One way to preserve it and prevent this is to keep the cake frozen. This is especially important if you live in a humid climate: make the meringues on a dry, rain-free day, and as soon as they are cold, fill and decorate the cake, then keep it frozen. Transfer it to the refrigerator two hours before serving.

What can it be filled with?

Raspberry meringue is a classic; you can also add mango jam or lemon curd. For the filling, I recommend buying the raspberries the same day, as they are delicate and spoil easily. Generally, you can use any fresh fruit: mango, kiwi, strawberries, peaches (as long as they aren't too ripe), and any fruit puree, such as lucuma and chestnut. Jams are also an option.

Here you can see the recipe for the meringue-chestnut cake.

How do I store the meringue cake?

I recommend keeping it frozen for up to 3 months.

How to make firm whipped cream?

There are three key factors: the cream, the bowl, and the beaters must be cold. The cream must have a fat content of at least 36%, meaning 36 grams of fat per 100 grams of liquid cream. Creams with lower fat content are not as stable. The whipping should be done at high speed. Other factors, such as when to add sugar, are not critical.

How to separate egg yolks and whites?

Eggs are easier to separate when they're cold, so you can put them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and then separate them. I recommend cracking the egg on a flat surface, not on the edge of the counter or the bowl where you're making the dough. The rest is just practice.

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What are the different types of meringue and when to use them? How do you make meringue?

French: the most common and simplest. Beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually add the sugar, and beat until the meringue is white and silky. It's less stable, but incorporates the most air. Ideal for soufflés. Italian: the most stable, made by adding sugar syrup to the egg whites while beating. Swiss: made by heating the egg whites and sugar together and then beating until cool. You can see the method in detail here. The best for decorating pies.

What is the standard egg size in pastry making?

Recipes in the US are written for large eggs, which weigh around 65 grams with the shell. Without the shell, they weigh 50 grams: 35 grams for the white and 15 grams for the yolk.