Meringue Torte

This delicious dessert consists of 3 different parts: a cake, a custard filling, and a meringue topping. Any one, or all three, can be made a day in advance, leaving only the fun of putting them together a short time before serving.

For this summer menu, we have suggested garnishing the torte with fresh sliced peaches and raspberries, but many other fruits also combine well with this dessert—strawberries, cherries, or in fall or winter you might try diced fresh pineapple, sliced bananas with fresh orange segments, or any of the summer fruit that has been frozen and thawed.

According to the fruits you choose, you may also like to vary the flavoring of the custard and use a liqueur such as kirsch or a good dark rum.

The Cake for the Base

• ½ stick butter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup extra-fine sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 5 egg whites (1 cup)

• 5 egg yolks

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Cut the butter into small pieces on a sheet of waxed paper and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Sift and measure the flour, then measure the sugar and add to it the ¼ teaspoon salt. Separate the eggs.

4. Spread out about half the flour on a cutting board. Remove the frozen butter from the refrigerator and place it on the flour. With a wide-bladed knife, chop the butter into the flour until it has a fine, even texture. Chop quickly, so that the butter doesn’t soften and become sticky. Add the remaining flour and blend in the same way. Refrigerate this mixture until you are ready to fold it into the beaten eggs.

5. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat (an electric mixer is fine for this) about 5 minutes at medium speed, until the mixture is pale in color and light in texture. Add the vanilla.

6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until the peaks just begin to stiffen.

7. Partially fold the beaten yolks into the egg whites. Remove the butter-flour mixture from the refrigerator and add it to the beaten eggs by spoonfuls, continuing the folding motion with a large flat spoon or a rubber spatula just to the point where the mixture is well blended. (The egg whites will break down if you mix any more than is necessary.)

8. Fill a 9” layer-cake pan with a bottom three-fourths full. Place it on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 45 minutes. When done, the cake should spring back when touched in the center.

9. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the side of the pan, then set the pan on top of a coffee tin or a similar object that is smaller in diameter than the pan itself. With a quick, firm downward pressing, the rim should slide off. To remove the bottom of the pan, place a cake rack upside down over the cake and quickly invert the two together. Slide a thin knife between the cake and the bottom and lift off the disc. Don’t bother to invert the cake again, as you’ll be spreading the filling over this side of the cake.

10. Cover the cake lightly with a napkin or linen dish towel and let cool on the rack for about an hour.

The Custard Filling

• 1 cup light cream

• 3 tablespoons flour, sifted

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 3 egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons brandy

• ½ vanilla bean

1. Mix together well the flour, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Pour in the light cream and add the vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wire whisk for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Lightly beat the yolks and stir in one-fourth of the hot cream mixture to warm the eggs. Add the eggs to the remaining hot cream, stirring briskly. Place the saucepan over a low flame and, stirring constantly, cook only until the sauce is heated through.

3. Remove from the stove. Strain the custard through a fine sieve. Cover it lightly and set to cool. When cool, flavor with the brandy.

NOTE: If made in advance, cover well and store in the refrigerator. Remove the custard an hour or so before assembling the torte as it will have more flavor at room temperature and will spread more easily. Stir it well before spreading it over the cake.

The Meringue Topping

• 3 egg whites (½ cup)

• ½ cup extra-fine sugar

• ¼ cup hazelnuts in the skin, finely chopped

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla

• Few drops of almond extract

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.

2. Separate the eggs and measure the sugar.

3. Chop the nuts on a board with a chef’s knife. It is easier to chop a few nuts at a time, as they tend to scatter if you do them all at once. Measure them after chopping, and set them aside while you whip the whites. (It is not necessary to remove the skins from the hazelnuts; in addition to giving some color to the meringue, they also add flavor.)

4. Whip the egg whites in an open, shallow bowl with a wire whisk, using an elliptical motion. After 4 to 5 minutes of beating, they will stand in soft peaks. At this point, begin adding the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, while continuing to beat (about 4 minutes). Add the vanilla and the almond extract. Beat another 3 to 4 minutes or until the whites are stiff.

5. If you prefer using an electric mixer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for whipping egg whites. Just after the whites are foamy and are beginning to stiffen, gradually add the sugar and the extracts. When the whites are stiff, remove them from the mixer.

6. Sprinkle the nuts over the beaten whites, and lightly blend them in with 3 or 4 quick folds.

7. Spoon the mixture onto the removable bottom of a 9” cake pan (the same size used for the cake base). Set in the center of the middle rack of the oven.

8. After 1 hour turn off the heat. Leave the meringue in the oven for an additional hour, then remove and place in a draft-free spot to cool.

NOTE: This is not a dry, crispy meringue; it is crisp around the edges, yet chewy and moist inside. It can be made a day ahead and stored in a tin or well wrapped (though not closely) in waxed paper and foil. If the meringue softens, place it in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.

Assembling the Torte

1. Place the cake on a serving dish and spread over the custard filling. Cover with a layer of thinly sliced peaches and a scattering of fresh raspberries.

2. Carefully place the meringue on top.

3. Garnish the cake with a circle of sliced peaches placed around the edge of the cake.

4. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake, and slice with a light sawing motion.