raspberry meringue cake

Damn you Martha! Why do you insist on tormenting my pregnancy cravings with your luscious cake filled e-mails? If someone promises to make this for me on my birthday, I’ll consider holding out until then...

{image via martha stewart}

Meringue-Frosted Cake with Raspberry Filling

The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and wrapped in plastic up to a day ahead. Just before serving, spread filling over one layer, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge, then assemble the cake. When it's time for dessert, make the meringue, frost the cake, and brown it.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves 10

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yolks (reserving whites for meringue, plus 1 additional white)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 5 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed and drained (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter paper; dust with flour; tap out excess. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat butter with 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until combined.
3. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake cakes side by side (not touching), rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pans. Invert cakes onto a cooling rack; remove parchment. Cool completely, upside down. (Wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature, up to 1 day.)
5. In a small bowl, combine raspberries and preserves. On an ovenproof serving platter, place one cake layer, bottom side up; spread with raspberry mixture, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with second cake layer, bottom side up.
6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in bottom third. Using an electric mixer, beat reserved whites with additional egg white until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating whites until stiff. Using a spatula, frost top and sides of cake, lifting spatula occasionally to make peaks. Bake until tips of meringue brown slightly, about 2 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.