Now let’s clap our hands for some dessert.

Raspberry Meringue Torte is a delicious marriage of meringue, sponge, fresh raspberries, and cream. It’s unusual to me to combine cake and meringue, but I am now a big fan.

The rich egg sponge is baked with a light, airy meringue on top. These cake layers are sandwiched with walnuts, whipped cream and raspberries. Such a wonderful contrast of textures.

A note: The original recipe only calls for lining the cake pan bottoms with parchment. Well, I don’t know why I trusted that the pans would not need to be greased, but I did. It was extremely difficult to get the cakes out of the pan, so be sure to grease your pans and the parchment. Luckily, the rustic, cracked look was very inviting!

Raspberry Meringue Torte

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons 2% milk
Meringue (recipe follows)
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
Filling (recipe follows)
2 cups fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Grease well three 9-inch round baking pans. Line with circles of parchment paper and grease again.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

3. Combine flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

4. Spread batter into prepared baking pans. (This is a bit of a fiddle as the batter is thick and causes the parchment to slide around when you are spreading it. There is also not a lot of batter for each pan. Don’t sweat it and just distribute it as best you can. It rises and spreads more during baking.)

4. Spread meringue evenly over cake batter and sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of walnuts.

5. Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes (meringue will crack).

6. Loosen edges of cakes from pans with a knife. Using two large spatulas, carefully remove one cake to a serving plate, meringue side up. Carefully remove remaining cakes, meringue side up, to wire racks.

7. Spread half of the filling over cake on serving plate. Top with half of the raspberries. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake. Garnish with raspberries if you like. Store in the refrigerator.

Serves 16-18

Meringue

Ingredients:

6 egg whites
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy.

2. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form. Add vanilla. Fold in walnuts.

Filling

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Recipes from Taste of Home Magazine

Spend some pool time with your best friends then dig into some tall slices of cake.

Man, I adore my friends. I adore cake. Put them together and it’s the very best recipe for happiness.

“No one makes me feel better”

The video screams summer AND they are eating cake. :)

Check out Allie & Ivy on their Website where you can buy the music.

Cheers!