Key Lime Meringue Cake

A cake with a meringue? Though not unheard of, this one is definitely a flight of fancy, a cakey version of Key lime pie.

12 servings

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature (see Cake-Baking Tips)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest, preferably Key lime (see Ingredient notes)
• 3 tablespoons almond oil, or canola oil

LIME FILLING

• 1 14-ounce can nonfat sweetened condensed milk, (not evaporated milk)
• 1/3 cup lime juice, preferably Key lime
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest, preferably Key lime

MERINGUE

• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature, or equivalent dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions (see Ingredient notes)
• 1/4 cup sugar

• PREPARATION

  1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray with flour (see Tip); alternatively, coat the pans with regular cooking spray, line them with parchment paper and spray the paper.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Beat 4 eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale yellow and doubled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla and 1 teaspoon lime zest.
  4. With a rubber spatula, gently fold almond (or canola) oil into the egg mixture, using long, even strokes, until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture; gently stir until just incorporated. Divide the batter between the pans; spread to the edges and gently rap the pans against the counter once or twice to settle the batter.
  5. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the layers onto the rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, if using, and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
  6. To prepare lime filling: Whisk condensed milk, lime juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest in a medium bowl until combined. Refrigerate until thickened, at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  7. To prepare meringue: Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
  8. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler. Transfer one layer, bottom-side down, to a large baking sheet. Spread the meringue on top of the cake, creating decorative peaks and valleys in the meringue with a rubber spatula. Broil until lightly browned, watching carefully to prevent burning, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  9. To assemble cake: Place the plain layer, top-side down, on a serving plate; spread the lime filling on top. Cover with the meringue-topped layer.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Make Ahead Tip: Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day. Cover and refrigerate the lime filling for up to 1 day. Prepare meringue and assemble the cake just before serving.
  • Cake-Baking Tips:
  • When using cake pans, they must be greased and floured to create a thin layer of protection against the oven's heat. For greater convenience, use a cooking spray that has flour in the mix, such as Pam for Baking, Baker's Joy or Crisco No-Stick Flour Spray.
  • Whole-wheat pastry flour has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour, making it a better choice for tender baked goods.
  • To properly measure flour when baking, use a spoon to lightly scoop flour from its container into a measuring cup. Once in the measuring cup, use a knife or other straight edge to level the flour with the top of the cup. If the measuring cup is dipped directly into the container—a common mistake—the flour will be packed into the cup and result in extra flour being added to the recipe, yielding tough, dense baked goods.
  • Room-temperature butter for a batter is one of the biggest culinary missteps. In fact, butter must be below 68°F to trap air molecules and build structure. Otherwise, the fat will be liquefied and the cake will be flat. To get “cool” butter: Cut refrigerated butter into chunks and let them sit in a bowl for 5 minutes before beating.
  • Eggs must be at room temperature for the proteins to unwind enough to support the cake's crumb. Either set the eggs out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them in their shells in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
  • Although you cannot overbeat the eggs, sugar and butter, you can overbeat the flour. If you do, you'll develop the gluten and create a quick bread rather than a layer cake. Beat the flour just until there are no white grains of undissolved flour visible but not until the batter is smooth.
  • Ingredient notes: Key limes are more fragrant, acidic and juicy than the common Persian lime found in U.S. markets. Look for the small, round limes with yellow-green skin in the specialty-produce section of supermarkets or Latin food markets.
  • Dried egg whites are pasteurized—a wise choice when making an uncooked meringue. They are also convenient when you have no use for leftover yolks. You'll find them in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets.

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 244 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 75 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 1 g fiber; 116 mg sodium; 359 mg potassium.
  3 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 3 other carbohydrates, 1 fat
  
  

You want fries with that?

Summer Sangria

This recipe is easy, but beware, it is going to go fast!  We ended up needed two batches.  So, I would recommend just doubling the recipe immediately if you are planning on hosting more than 5-6 people.

Summer Sangria {from MarthaStewart.com}

Ingredients:

• 4 oranges
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 bottle dry red wine, chilled
• 2 lemons
• 2 cups club soda
• ice cubes

Directions:

1. Juice 2 of the oranges.
2. Slice the other two oranges and the lemons and set aside.
3. In a large punch bowl, combine orange juice, sugar, and brandy; stir well to dissolve sugar.
4. Add wine, orange slices, lemon slices, and seltzer; stir to combine.
5. Add ice.

Strawberry Bullseye Cheesecake

The pink layers were flavored with strawberry jam and essence. Overall, this cheesecake isn’t too sweet. The crust is a perfect balance to the richness of the cheesecake. I made some strawberry and blueberry compote to go with the cheesecake too.

Ingredients for the crust:

2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
¾ stick/6 tbsp of melted butter
2 tbsp of sugar

Ingredients for the filling:

2 block of 8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 fat free cream cheese)
1 can of 14 oz condensed milk
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
2 tbsp of flour
4 tbsp of sour cream
4 tbsp of strawberry jam
½ tsp of strawberry essence
A few drop of pink coloring

1. Line ann greased an 8” spring form pan with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the baking pan with some aluminum foil. This is to prevent water from seeping in while baking. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degree F.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar and melted butter together. Press it firmly into the bottom of the baking pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set it aside. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
3. Meanwhile, cream the cheese and condensed milk until well mixed. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix until incorporated and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Add in the flour, sour and mix well.
4. Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well. Take ½ of the cheesecake batter and place it in another mixing bowl. Stir in the strawberry jam, strawberry essence and a few drop of the pink coloring. Mix until well combined.
5. Drop about 4 tbsp of the white batter to the middle of the baking pan. Follow by the pink color mixture on top of each other. Proceed to do the same to the rest of the batter. Do not stir, swirl or shake the pan. The batter will spread on it own.
6. Place the baking pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until the center is set. Do not over bake.
7. Turn off the heat and leave the cake in the oven with the door ajar for 45 min. Remove the cake from oven and chill for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Icebox Cheesecake

Source of Recipe


Sandee Kay Downhour -Southern Living, JUNE 2008


Recipe Introduction


A summery mix of fresh-picked berries adds a sweet burst of flavor to this versatile cheesecake pie. Create a new twist by pairing the filling with a Chocolate Butter Cookie Crust or a salty Pretzel Crust. Substitute mascarpone cheese for cream cheese or top with sliced peaches and pitted cherries. Any choice is a good one! When you’re ready to serve, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to cut through the filling and crust, then insert a pie server underneath each slice and lift from the pan.



List of Ingredients




1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8-oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 baked Butter Cookie Crust or
baked Pretzel Crust*
4 cups assorted fresh berries, pitted cherries, or sliced fruit
1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam
1/4 cup orange liqueur



Recipe



1. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Fold in whipped topping and vanilla; spoon into prepared crust. Cover and chill 8 hours.

2. Arrange fruit over cream cheese filling. Stir together jam and liqueur; drizzle over fruit.

Mascarpone Pie: Substitute 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese for cream cheese, 1/4 cup granulated sugar for powdered sugar, 2 cups whipped cream for whipped topping, and 1 baked Chocolate Butter Cookie Crust for Butter Cookie Crust. Prepare recipe as directed.

*PRETZEL CRUST---

Yield: Makes one 9-inch crust


Ingredients
2 cups finely crushed pretzel sticks
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
Preparation
Stir together all ingredients; firmly press crumb mixture on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased 9-inch pieplate. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and cool crust 1 hour or until completely cool before filling.