Meringue Cakes

A few important classic cakes are based on meringue (see Cold Desserts and Ice Creams). The batter is either plain or mixed with finely chopped nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios. The mixture is baked in rounds which are mounted in layers with butter cream or a whipped cream filling. After a few days, the meringue and filling soften and mellow to a lusciously rich cake. Classically, the name of the type of cake is piped across the top against a background of chopped nuts, butter cream rosettes or sugar roses.