Marble Meringue Cake
A marble cake that bakes with its own meringue crust on top, then gets split and filled with chocolate cream. Pink, purple, blue and raspberry through the middle.
Makes: 12, makes a 22 x 21cm cake
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
200g butter
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup milk
3-4 drops each pink, purple and blue food colouring
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
For the meringue
3 egg whites
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cocoa
For the centre layer
300ml thickened cream
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
For the top
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup raspberry jam
300ml thickened cream
1/4 cup caster sugar
sparkle sugar, as desired
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160C fan forced or 180C conventional, and line a 22 x 21 x 7.5cm cake tin.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale. Add the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour and milk alternately, in halves.
Divide the batter into 4 portions. Tint 3 of them with the food colouring and stir the raspberries through the plain batch. Distribute the batters into the lined tin.
For the meringue, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form, then mix in the cream of tartar. Fold through the cocoa until streaky.
Dollop the meringue over the batter, pulling it into peaks.
Bake uncovered for 50 minutes until the meringue browns, then cover with foil and bake for a further 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool slightly, remove the tin, then cool completely. Cut 2cm from the base around the entire cake, taking care with the meringue top.
For the centre layer, whip the cream with the sugar until peaks form, add the cocoa and mix until combined. Spread over the bottom cake layer and replace the top.
For the top, heat the raspberries and jam over low heat until melted, then cool. Whip the cream with the sugar to peaks.
Layer dollops of cream over the cake, drizzle with the compote and finish with sparkle sugar.
HINTS
Fold the cocoa through the meringue until it is streaky, not smooth. The marbling on top is the whole look.
Cover with foil at the 50 minute mark. The meringue is browned by then and will burn if you leave it exposed for the second stretch.
Cut the base layer off with a long serrated knife and a gentle hand - the meringue crust is fragile, and a sawing motion is kinder than pressure.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 12 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 31000kJ (7400 calories)
Protein: 75g
Fat: 430g
Saturated fat: 270g
Carbohydrates: 830g
Sugars: 580g
Fibre: 20g
Sodium: 2000mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.