Cardinal Slices

This elaborate cake is one of the glories of Viennese pastry. The cake layers are made of alternating meringue and ladyfinger batters, and the filling is a luscious coffee-flavored whipped cream. All my attempts to find out about the origins of the name have met with failure—though it isn’t too far-fetched to imagine a jolly, rotund Austrian prince of the church enjoying these.

This is a recipe in which organization is important. Have all the ingredients for the ladyfinger batter re