Scandinavian Baking Recipe: Meringue-topped Rhubarb Cake
Scandinavian Baking Recipe: crumbling meringue meets sharp rhubarb in this delicious cake recipe
These sumptuous meringue peaks beautifully complement the sharpness of the rhubarb in this Scandinavian cake.
Meringue-topped Rhubarb Cake
Somebody once told me this cake has galactic proportions, which is some compliment… If you like rhubarb and soft crunchy meringue, this is the cake for you. I have served it to family and friends for years and it has always spread a lot of joy. Baking is all about love.
INGREDIENTS
Serves twenty
For the cake
200g butter, plus more for the tin
1 vanilla pod
175g caster sugar
4 eggs
100g skin-on almonds
175g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
100ml whole milk
For the topping
400g fresh or frozen and defrosted rhubarb, cut into 1cm pieces
4 egg whites
200g caster sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Butter a 35 x 25cm baking tin and line the base with baking parchment.
Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out all the seeds with the tip of a sharp knife. Cream the butter, vanilla seeds and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Grind the almonds, with their skins, in a food processor, until fine. Mix them with the flour and baking powder. Add to the batter, alternating with the milk. Pour into the prepared tin, then spread the rhubarb evenly on top. Working quickly, whisk the egg whites until stiff, but do not over-beat them. Gradually add the sugar, still beating, then evenly spread the meringue over the rhubarb.
Bake for about 20 minutes, then cover the cake with foil to stop it getting too dark and bake for another 20 minutes. Insert a skewer to check if the cake is done, it should come out clean; otherwise bake for five minutes more.
Serve warm or cold.
Recipe extracted from Scandinavian Baking by Trine Hahnneman (Quadrille Publishing, Hardback £25)
