Pudding Baking

Hazelnut, Cherry & Amaretto Meringue Cake

Due to the warm spring we experienced this year, the British cherry harvest is particularly bountiful this summer! Celebrate this seasonal star with our hazelnut, cherry and amaretto meringue cake

15 minutes prep, 1-2 hours cook

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

5 medium free-range egg whites

250g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g toasted hazelnuts, chopped

For the filling:

400ml double cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

2 vanilla pods, seeds scraped

1 tbsp amaretto

400g pitted cherries (tinned or fresh), halved, plus about 25 whole cherries to decorate

Method

Heat the oven to 140°C/Fan 120°C/Gas 1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment and draw a 23cm circle on to each piece of parchment.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add the caster sugar in a steady stream while still whisking the whites.

Once they go glossy, fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract, then slowly fold in the toasted hazelnuts.

Scoop half the mixture onto each circle and spread out as evenly as possible.

Bake in the oven for 1–2 hours, until you can start to peel the baking paper then turn off the heat and leave the meringues to sit in the oven until away from the meringue easily,then turn off the heat and leave the meringues to sit in the oven until cool.

For the filling, whisk the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds until soft peaks form, then stir in the amaretto.

Spread half the cream over one of the meringue bases. Scatter with the halved cherries, then spread most of the remaining cream on the underside of the other base and place on top of the cherries.

Dot the underside of the whole cherries with cream and use this to stick them to the top of the cake to decorate.