Strawberry Meringue Cake

By Maylynn

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 cups sifted cake flour (sift before measuring)
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• Meringue:
• 4 egg whites
• sugar
• 1 quart strawberried, washed and hulled
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• ¼ cup current jelly, melted

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

1. Sift flour with baking powder and salt 3 times; set aside. Preheat oven to 375. Grease well and lightly flour 2 9x1/1/2-inch layer pans. In large bowl of mixer, at medium speed, cream butter until light. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg yolks, half at a time; beat until very light. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths) alternately with mile (in third), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Bear just until combined. Add vanilla. Divide evenly into cake pans; smooth tops.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until tops spring back when gently pressed with finger. Do not overbake. Meanwhile, in small bowl of mixer, let whites warm to room temperature – 1 hour. Cool layers in pans on racks 5 minutes. Loosen edges with sharp knife.
4. Invert on cake racks to cool. Place cooled layers on cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 350. At high speed, beat whites just until soft peaks from when beater is slowly raised. Beat in ½ cup sugar, 2 T. at a time, beating after each addition.
5. Beat until stiff peaks form when beaters are slowly raised. Spread meringue lightly on layers. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until meringue is golden. Let cool on racks. Reserve half of berries for top of cake. Slice rest into bowl. Sprinkle with ½ cup sugar; chill.
6. To serve: Place one layer on cake plate. Spread with whipped cream. Top with sliced berries. Place second layer on top. Halve reserved berries; arrange on cake; brush with jelly. Serve at once or within several hours. Do not refrigerate.