Meringue Cake (a.k.a. Brita Cake)

I do not know why this meringue cake is named Brita Cake. I can only guess.

In 1960, a magazine arranged a Swedish Cake Championship. The winning recipe was a Pinnocchio Cake with an airy layer of meringue, chopped walnuts and whipped cream; baked in a round spring-form cake tin with separate bottom.

Through the years, I have seen many varieties of this cake; often with fillings of whipped cream mixed with berries or fruit. So, maybe the mother of this meringue cake once was a woman named Brita.











LAYER INGREDIENTS:
* 125 g margarine
* 1 dl (100 ml) sugar
* 2 egg yolks
* 1 dl (100 ml) milk
* 1 ½ dl (150 ml) flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder

MERINGUE:
* 2 egg whites
* 1 3/4 dl (175 ml) sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
* 100 g nuts, chopped

FILLING:
* 2-3 dl (200-300 ml) whipping cream

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180°C [ab. 350°F]
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add egg yolks and beat well.
Blend flour and baking powder.
Add flour mixture and milk alternatively.
Beat egg whites until stiff, add sugar and vanilla, continue beating until really stiff.
"Dress" your oven roasting pan with lightly oiled baking paper,
Pour in the cake batter and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula (as thin as gauze).
Spread the meringue mixture on top and sprinkle with chopped nuts - it has to cover.
Bake for ab. 20 minutes, allow to cool and split it in two.
Cover one half with whipped cream and put the other half on top.

A rather large cake for grand occasions with just a few ingredients.
Serves about 12.