Swedish Midsummer Strawberry Meringue Layer Cake
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Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
For the Meringue layers
  • (Recipe adapted from the LA Times)
  • 8 egg whites (I tried the liquid ones from a carton and ended up with a soupy mess. You'll have the separate the eggs)
  • 1 cup plus 2 T sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 T flour
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
For the filling:
  • 3 quarts strawberries
  • 4 T sugar, divided
  • 1 quart heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. cardamom
Instructions
For the Meringue
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; trace 5 8-inch circles on the sheets of paper (2 on 2 sheets, and 1 on the third), and grease the sheets with butter and flour or Baker's Joy.
  2. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a balloon whisk and a very strong arm), whip the egg whites until they form gentle peaks. Add the sugar gradually, ¼ cup at a time, and the salt, and beat at high speed until the egg whites form stiff and glossy peaks. Gently fold in the flour, almond flour and cardamom.
  3. Divide the mixture evenly among the five circles, and spread them to fit inside the circles, making sure that the layers have a fairly even thickness.
  4. Place in the oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 250 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the disks begin to color, then reduce the heat further to 200 degrees and bake for an additional 2 hours. Let cool slightly.
To Assemble the Cake:
  1. Stem and slice the strawberries, reserving the prettiest specimens whole to adorn the top of the cake. Sprinkle 1 T sugar over the sliced strawberries.
  2. In a large, chilled bowl, combine the cream, sugar and cardamom, and whip until billowy and holding soft peaks.
  3. Place 1 layer meringue cake on a plate. Top with whipped cream, ¼ of the strawberries, a little more whipped cream, and another layer of cake. Repeat. Frost the top layer with the last of the whipped cream and the reserved whole strawberries.
  4. Serve immediately if you want crisp layers; for a softer and creamier experience (the edges will retain some crunch, and the almonds also keep it a little crunchy) serve a couple of hours after assembly.
Recipe by The Domestic Front at https://www.thedomesticfront.com/swedish-midsummer-strawberry-meringue-layer-cake/