Treat of the Week: A Magnificent Meringue Torte

This week’s treat is an old family favorite which we haven’t had in many years.  My maternal grandmother developed this recipe many years ago based on a recipe dating to the late 1930s-early 1940’s.  My grandmother used to make this cake to serve to her Bridge Club and my mother very cleverly adopted the recipe.

The cake is a masterpiece of buttery yellow cake, meringue whipped cream and fruit.  The cake itself is dense and moist, but not overly sweet.  Sweetness and crunch come from the meringue topping and middle layer.  The cake batter—in two pans—is spread with a thick layer of stiff meringue.  These layers are baked twice. 

Once cooled, the layers are assembled with a filling of freshly whipped cream and berries—in this case raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and  strawberries.  For extra flavor, my mother added a little brandy to the whipped cream.  The assembled cake affords a host of flavors and textures in each bite.  The meringue top of the upper layer remains crisp, yet light and chewy—sprinkled with toasted nuts while the bottom layer’s meringue becomes soft and creamy underneath the whipped cream and berries.  The overall effect is an array of textures and fresh taste which is unparalleled.  Not only does it taste good, but it is undeniably gorgeous.