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Makes
enough frosting to fill and ice 1 10-inch layer cake
Author Notes
Meringue is great atop cakes as well as the more traditional lemon meringue pie.
A friend from Cuba told me that as a kid all his birthday cakes were iced with meringue, and friends from Mexico have said the same. I make Italian meringue for this. And for extra deliciousness, sometimes I caramelize the meringue peaks a bit with a torch or run the cake VERY briefly under a broiler. Meringue icing is particularly good on Devil’s Food Cake. —Gail Monaghan
Ingredients
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1/4 teaspoon
cream of tartar
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1/4 teaspoon
salt
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3
large egg whites at room temperature
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1 cup
sugar
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1/4 cup
water
Directions
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Place cream of tartar, salt and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place. Beat —starting on low and slowly raising the speed-- until soft peaks form.
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Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring mixture frequently, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 238°.
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Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, while beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract if using.
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