Easy Meringue Roll with cream and berries
Yes, even meringue can be rolled and the result is amazing! You’ll achieve an elegant and delicious dessert, with a wow effect! with just a few ingredients and in no time.
A gluten-free, easy and quick dessert, yet impressive, ideal for festive occasions and important events, like Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.
A soft meringue with a crispy shell, filled with a delicate cream made from cream, mascarpone, and berries.
The roll is cracked on the surface (that’s how it should be, it’s its characteristic) but the slice cuts intact and does not crumble.
You can prepare the cooked meringue the day before and then fill it the next day.
Keep the meringue roll in the fridge for at least two hours before serving the dessert.
The success of this fresh and voluptuous dessert is guaranteed by the signature of Yotam Ottolenghi who is always meticulously precise in describing his recipes.
It’s a simple and versatile dessert, because once you’ve learned to prepare the meringue roll base, you can fill it as you like: in winter it’s also amazing with chestnut cream and cream or Nutella and cream!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Easy Meringue Roll
- 4 large egg whites (at room TEMPERATURE)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (superfine Zefiro)
- 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
- 1/2 cup mascarpone (at room temperature)
- 2 tbsps powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp rum (optional)
- 1 cup cups raspberries (or strawberries or mixed berries, must be fresh)
- A few sprigs red currants (optional)
- to taste pistachio crumbs (for decoration, optional)
- to taste powdered sugar (for decoration)
- edible flowers (optional)
Tools for the Easy Meringue Roll
- Bowl
- Mixer electric 350 W power
- Spatula angled for cakes
- Parchment paper
- Baking tray extendable
Steps for the Easy Meringue Roll
Whip the egg whites at room temperature (NOT cold from the fridge) with an electric mixer (I use a stand mixer with a wire whisk) until they form a foam, then start adding gradually the superfine sugar and continue beating for about 5 minutes, until you have a glossy and firm meringue.
Then, add the white vinegar, sifted cornstarch, and vanilla extract, and continue beating until you get the classic glossy and stiff “peak” when you lift the whisk.
Preheat the oven to 320°F and line a rectangular baking tray 13 by 9 inches, with parchment paper.
Pour immediately (see FAQ below) the meringue mixture into the tray and smooth it out well with a spatula (preferably angled for cakes).
Bake the meringue in a preheated oven at 320°F for about 30 minutes, until a slight crust forms, but do not let it darken (if necessary, after 5 minutes of baking, cover the meringue with aluminum foil).
Remove the meringue from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the tray, then cover it with a sheet of parchment paper, flip the tray over, and gently detach the meringue from the parchment paper used for baking.
Pour the mascarpone (at room temperature) into a bowl with the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and rum and beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer (or stand mixer).
Then add the liquid cream (cold from the fridge) and beat for about 3 minutes, until you obtain a thick cream that does not drip.
Spread the cream (save some for the top) over the meringue, leaving a little space at the edges.
Scatter the fresh whole raspberries (NOT frozen) and red currants (or strawberries or mixed berries) over the cream.
Then, using the parchment paper, gently roll up the meringue from the long side and using the parchment paper, slide the roll onto the serving plate.
Spread the remaining cream over the center of the surface and decorate with raspberries, red currants (or other berries or strawberries), pistachio crumbs, and edible flowers (optional).
Before serving, place the meringue roll in the refrigerator for at least two hours and finally dust with powdered sugar, take out the dessert from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving it.
The meringue roll is crunchy and brittle outside and soft inside, BUT it should be consumed the same day it is filled, otherwise, it slightly loses its crispiness.
Notes and Tips
If you want, you can also freeze the already cooked and filled Meringue Roll (even pre-portioned), only that instead of the cream of cream and mascarpone mentioned above, it is better to use a cream composed of: 250 g of whipped cream mixed with 250 g of condensed milk, which once frozen will become a sort of creamy semifreddo. This option is ideal in summer!
Shopping Tips!!!
To knead perfectly, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with illuminated 7L bowl, integrated scale, and blender, a faithful ally in the kitchen for: kneading, weighing, whipping, cooking, chopping, and pasteurizing eggs.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for a more economical and smaller stand mixer, you can safely choose to purchase the excellent Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL, 1200W power, 5l bowl, and integrated scale.
For this recipe, I also used the handy Bosch electric mixer, 350 W power, you can find it at a great price on Amazon.
This Extendable Baking Tray is very useful.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What to do if the meringue is too runny?
You could add a little powdered sugar to thicken it.
How to prevent the meringue from collapsing?
An important trick is this: Never let the meringues rest before baking them because they start to collapse immediately: have your baking sheet covered with parchment paper ready and the oven temperature already stable.
