I love meringue in all its forms: baked until crisp, blowtorched and even poached. Here, it’s thick, gooey and sits on top of a fruity filling and buttery sponge. Peach melba is such a classic, and when summer rolls around I incorporate the flavours into as many desserts as possible. It works a treat in this cake, cutting through the sweet topping.
Peach melba meringue cake
This cake is best eaten on the day it’s made.
Prep 20 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 12
For the sponge
120g unsalted butter, softened
180g caster sugar
2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
150g plain flour
70g ground almonds
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
40ml milk
For the filling
150g raspberries
30g caster sugar
2 ripe peaches
For the meringue
2 egg whites (approx 75g)
110g caster sugar
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the whole eggs one at a time, followed by the yolks, beating well after each addition.
In another bowl, mix the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Tip half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Mix in the milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the raspberries and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Cook for six to eight minutes, until the fruit has softened and is syrupy; set aside to cool. Peel the peaches with a veg peeler, remove the stones, and slice the flesh thinly. Set aside.
To make the meringue, put the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk frequently until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Remove from the heat and, using a stand mixer or electric whisk, whip until the whites are thick, glossy and stiff, and the bowl is no longer hot to touch.
To assemble, top the cake with the raspberries, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Top with the peach slices, then spoon over the meringue, spreading it out evenly with a palette knife. Blowtorch the meringue until well browned (if you don’t have a blowtorch, put the cake briefly under a hot grill) and serve.
