The rhubarb and cream meringue cake is a true dream for the palate with its tangy rhubarb compote and the sweetness of the crunchy meringue on the surface and fluffy inside. It’s not an everyday cake, I’ll tell you honestly, as it takes a little time to prepare, especially for the cooling, but it’s definitely worth it. And it is also enjoyed by those who don’t like very sweet desserts, as it delights with the acidity of the rhubarb compote, which offers a great contrast to the sweetness of the meringue.
It reminds me of our trips to northern Germany, where I often ate a similar meringue cake with gooseberry compote. Since I can’t easily find gooseberries here, and especially since they are not in season at the moment, I opted for rhubarb, which makes this dessert very similar to the “Stachelbeertorte” I eat in Germany.
If you like rhubarb, try these recipes of mine too:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 10 slices
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Mother's Day, Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1 1/6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/2 cup butter (soft)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 untreated lemon (zest)
- 60 g egg yolks (3-4)
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 150 g egg whites (3-4)
- 1 cup brown sugar (alternatively white sugar)
- as needed almond slices
- 500 g rhubarb
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 1 cup heavy cream
Steps
To prepare the base of the rhubarb and cream cake, mix the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit (static) and line the bottom of a cake pan (22 cm in diameter, about 8.5 inches) with baking paper.
In a bowl, beat the butter together with the sugar and grated lemon zest until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and whisk everything until the mixture is homogeneous. Then sift half of the flour and baking powder mixture over the butter and egg yolk mixture and pour in half of the milk. Work with the whisk. Add the remaining flour and milk, work with the whisk until a homogeneous dough is obtained, and transfer it to the cake pan, spreading it evenly across the entire bottom.
Bake at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a bowl and start beating them. When they begin to swell, sprinkle in the sugar, continuing to beat until they are firm and glossy and nothing comes out when flipping the bowl. It will take about 10 minutes.
After the first part of the base’s baking, remove it from the oven and add the meringue on top. Spread it evenly and then, with the help of a spoon, create meringue peaks by simply placing and removing the back of the spoon on the meringue. Sprinkle with almond slices and bake again for about 20 minutes, lowering the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. After 20 minutes, put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oven door, so that a gap remains open and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes.
At this point, gently detach any meringue along the edge of the cake pan and then remove the cake from the pan. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare the rhubarb filling, wash the rhubarb and remove the ends (leaves and less attractive lower part of the stem). Cut the rhubarb stalks into pieces about 1 inch thick and place them in a saucepan. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water, stir, and put on the stove. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. When the rhubarb has softened and released some of its juice, in a small bowl, mix the remaining water with the potato starch until smooth. Then pour it into the saucepan with the rhubarb, stirring simultaneously.
Continue cooking for a few minutes while stirring, until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from heat and let cool completely, even in the fridge.
When the meringue base and the rhubarb filling have cooled, whip the cream with the remaining sugar (1/4 cup).
Cut the base in half. The dough part, that is, so that you then have one disc of just dough and a second disc of dough with meringue on top.
Place the base without meringue on a plate and put the cake ring around it.
Add the rhubarb filling, distributing it evenly. Then add the cream, spreading it over the entire surface. Finally, cover with the second disc of dough, the one with the meringue.
Place the cake in the fridge for at least four hours before serving. Ideally, without covering it airtight, as the meringue tends to absorb moisture and becomes soft.
Before serving, gently remove the ring, cut into slices, and enjoy your rhubarb and cream meringue cake!
