On today’s menu: Passionfruit Meringue Cake.
Created by chef Rhiann Mead, this dessert recipe is part of our Seasonal Sensations series. Inspired by the 2023 delicious Harvey Norman Produce Awards, five Australian foodies have put together five mouthwatering recipes for you to try at home.
Prep 30 minutes + cooling time
Cook 60 minutes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Meringue Cakes
225g egg whites (6 eggs)
350g caster sugar
10g cornflour
1½ tsp white vinegar
Passionfruit Curd
125g passionfruit pulp
90g unsalted butter
3 free-range eggs
190g caster sugar
Chantilly Cream
400g Meander Valley Dairy Double Cream
40g icing sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped or ½ tsp vanilla essence
Passionfruit (x 2), to serve
Meringue kisses and edible flowers, for decoration (see notes)
Passionfruit Meringue Cake Method
Preheat the oven to 100°C fan-forced. Line 3 large trays with baking paper and draw a disc approximately 15cm-wide on each sheet.
Add egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a KitchenAid Bowl Lift Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high-speed for 10 minutes or until firm peaks form. Add cornflour and vinegar and whisk on high for an additional 30 seconds until combined.
Divide mixture between the 3 trays. Use a spatula or an off-set palette knife to spread the mixture to cover the circles, smoothing the top slightly. Bake for 1 hour or until firm. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue cakes inside to cool. Once cooled, place in an airtight container until needed.
To make the passionfruit curd, add pulp to a small saucepan over high heat. Once boiled, add butter to melt and bring back to boiling. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and sugar until just frothy. Pour over pulp mixture and stir to combine. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk for 10-12 minutes or until temperature reaches 85°C on a thermometer. The mixture should thicken and coat the back of a spoon. Pass mixture through a sieve, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Next, make the Chantilly cream by whisking cream, icing sugar and vanilla in the clean KitchenAid bowl until soft peaks form.
To assemble the cake, place one meringue disc on a serving board. Spread meringue with a generous layer of Chantilly cream, followed by passionfruit curd. Top with a second meringue disc and repeat this process finishing with the Chantilly cream. Drizzle with fresh passionfruit pulp and top with passionfruit kisses and flowers. Serve immediately.
Notes: To make meringue kisses, add a small amount of meringue mixture to a piping bag and pipe small kisses onto a tray, approximately 2-3cm in diameter. Bake for 1 hour at 70°C fan-forced. Once cool, lightly brush with gold leaf. Store in an air-tight container until ready to use.
Seasonal Sensation Recipes
Green Mango Salad with Lemongrass, Shallots, Mint & Coriander, by chef Annita Potter
Lobster E-fu Noodles with Pippies & Cuttlefish in a Garlic Butter Sauce, by chef ‘Big’ Sam Young
Spritz Me, Baby (Sparkling Wine with Saffron Gin & Plum Vermouth), by sommelier Shanteh Wale
Roasted Chicken with Turmeric, Lemongrass, Shallots & Smoked Chilli Nahm Jim, by chef Narin ‘Jack’ Kulasai