This week, we’ve got baking on the brain for the RSPCA’s annual Cupcake Day fundraiser! To celebrate, food writer Libby Kimber shares this recipe for summer berry cloud cake that’s perfect for sharing with friends, family and colleagues, all for a good cause!
Recipe from A Table for Friends by Skye McAlpine, available now, Bloomsbury.
Hands on time: 25 minutes
Hands off time: 1 hour baking, 1 hour cooling
Serves 8-10
- Flavourless oil, for the trays
- 6 egg whites
- 300g caster sugar, plus 2 Tbsp
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 850ml double cream
- 150g blackberries
- 300g raspberries
- 300g blueberries
- 30g flaked almonds
Thyme sprigs, redcurrants and flowers, for decoration (optional)
Heat the oven to 150ËšC/fan 130ËšC. Oil 3 baking trays and line with baking parchment. Draw a circle on each roughly 23cm in diameter (I trace around a cake tin).
In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they begin to peak, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking all the while. When all the sugar has been added and the mixture is glossy, gently fold in the cornflour and the vinegar. Spoon the meringue on to the baking trays, spreading it out to make 3 discs. Bake for 1 hour, then switch the oven off and leave the meringues in there to harden for another hour. You want the meringue to be crisp so that it can support the weight of the cream.
You can make the meringue up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container.
To make the filling, whip the cream with an electric whisk until peaks form, but take care not to over-whip it, or it will lose that silky quality.
Take the first meringue disc and spoon roughly one-third of the cream on top, then sprinkle with one-third of the berries, half the flaked almonds and 1 tablespoon caster sugar. Top with the second layer of meringue and repeat.
Top with the third meringue, spoon on the last one-third of the cream and decorate with berries, thyme sprigs and flowers (just make sure they’re not noxious), if you like.
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