Layered Hazelnut Meringue Cake

I doubt there is anyone in Australia who hasn’t tasted pavlova and certainly it is a popular and perennial dessert! Australians and Kiwis have hotly contested the origins of this popular dessert for decades with evidence surfacing that could suggest the humble pav has English, American or even German beginnings. Perhaps we’ll never know where it first came from, but the most important thing is really making sure you get a piece the next time you are offered one!

So with a nod to the pav, I’m creating another classic Layered Hazelnut Meringue Cake which is a bit more special than your average meringue cake. Hazelnut meal is folded into the meringue and slowly baked, but it’s all about the presentation so I added some pretty flourishes at the end to elevate this into a showstopper.

First off, I make three hazelnut meringue discs (and I must say, even though these meringue disks contain similar ingredients, they are much easier to make than hazelnut macarons!), fill them with luscious whipped cream and then top off the cake with all sorts of delightful delicacies such as sugared mint leaves, pineapple flowers, edible flowers and fresh fruit to finish.

This cake really depends on having good quality cream to layer between the meringue discs. I’m using Devondale All Rounder Thickened Cream as the gelatine content in the cream really helps stabilise the whipped cream between the delicate meringue layers. To help whip up your cream faster, I recommend keeping your bowl, beaters and cream chilled in the fridge prior to whipping. To keep your bowl extra cold, if you’re using hand beaters, rest your whipping bowl in a larger bowl and nest ice between the bowls to keep them extra cold.

I really hope you enjoy this final episode of Lyndey Milan’s Summer Baking Secrets!

x

Lyndey