Strawberry Meringue Cakes Recipe

Ingredients :

Preparation & cook time : 40 minutes (plus cooling)

Makes 24

• 200 butter, softened

• 2¼ cups (300g) gluten-free self-raising flour

• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar

• ½ cup (125ml) milk

• 2 eggs

• 2 egg whites

• ½ cup (160g) strawberry jam

• 3 egg whites, extra

• ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar, extra

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line two 12-hole (¹/₃-cup/80ml) muffin pans with paper cases.

2. Beat butter in medium bowl with electric mixer until changed to a lighter color. Sift flour and ¼ cup of the caster sugar together; beat flour mixture and milk into butter, in two batches, only until combined.

3. Beat eggs and the two egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves between additions. Gradually beat egg mixture into flour mixture only until combined.

4. Divide mixture among paper cases; bake cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

5. Increase oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan forced.

6. Cut deep 2cm-wide hole from centre of each cake; discard cake tops. Fill holes with jam.

7. Beat extra egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add extra sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves between additions. Spoon meringue mixture into large piping bag fitted with 1cm plain tube. Place cakes on oven trays; pipe meringue on top of each cake. Bake 5 minutes or until meringue is browned lightly.

Baking Tips Baking Tip : For a dairy-free version of this cake, substitute dairy-free spread for the butter and soy milk for the milk. Storage : Cakes can be stored in an airtight container for two days. Unfilled cakes can be frozen for up to three months.

Food Facts & Glossary of Baking Ingredients butter : 125g is equal to one stick (4 ounces) butter. Unsalted butter often called "sweet" butter as it has no added salt. The salt content of regular salted butter is sometimes discernable in a sweet recipe, especially with chocolate. You can use regular butter in most cakes and baking, but it's advisable to stick to unsalted butter when it's specified in delicate toppings, icings and so on. self-raising flour is plain flour mixed with baking powder in the proportion of 1 cup flour to 2 teaspoons baking powder. Also available gluten-free from most supermarkets. caster sugar is superfine or finely granulated table sugar.

√  gluten-free    √  wheat-free    √  yeast-free