This Eton Mess Cake is a spectacular combination of fresh fruit, soft sponge cake layers with whipped cream, and tiny crispy meringues. This show-stopper of a dessert is a fun, gorgeous cake for the summer months.
Do you love spectacular cakes like this? Then try our Best Angel Food Cake Recipe too! Full of wonderful fresh berries!
Eton Mess is a dessert that happened by accident, literally. As most of the stories go, there are alternatives, but this dessert ended up being a mess from a Labrador Retriever squashing a pavlova at Eton College in England in the 1920s, and it evolved from there.
Helpful Items For This Recipe
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you.
Nonstick 9-inch Round Cake Pans, Set of 4
What is in Eton Mess Cake?
To make an Eton Mess Cake requires a bit extra work, but following our directions will give you a great outcome. There are three major ingredient groups: meringues, sponge cake, and, finally, whipped cream.
Ingredients
Meringues
Egg whites – They are necessary for a meringue.
Cream of tartar – Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in egg whites, letting them stay so the meringue will be light and fluffy.
Salt – For enhancing flavor.
Sugar – For sweetness.
Vanilla – For flavor.
Sponge Cake
Cake flour – To make cake flour for this recipe, simply remove 2 tablespoons of flour from 2 cups and add in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix well before adding to the recipe.
Baking powder, Baking soda, and Salt – These are used as leavening agents and to season the cake.
Eggs, separated – This cake uses a lot of eggs, making it light and airy, especially since you whisk the yolks and whites separately.
Cream of tartar – Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in egg whites, keeping the batter light and airy.
Sugar – Granulated sugar is used for this cake.
Vanilla – A small amount of almond extract can be used in place of the vanilla in the meringues and even in the sponge cake.
Lemon juice – The lemon juice helps not only with leavening the cake but also this tiny amount helps to keep the cake tender.
Vegetable oil – The oil keeps the cake tender and loftier. It just makes a better cake.
Honey – A little bit of sweetness and flavor are added by using the honey.
Whipped Cream
Heavy cream – You need a cream that is high in fat, anywhere between 30-36%.
Powdered sugar – This sugar is used because it will dissolve easily in the cream and not leave a gritty texture.
Vanilla – For flavoring.
Assembly
Blueberries – The blueberries are for the inside of the cake and for decorations on the top.
Berries and edible flowers – Find what you can that looks fresh and delicious.
How to Make an Eton Mess Cake
Meringues:
Preheat the oven to 225 F. Line at least one large baking sheet with parchment paper, although you may need two baking sheets. Set aside.
Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed for about 1 minute or until a micro foam begins to form. Add the cream of tartar and salt into the whites and continue whipping for about 30 seconds. With the mixer still running, slowly stream in the sugar, giving it time to dissolve. Once the sugar
is completely incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip for 2-3 more minutes or until stiff peaks have formed. Add the vanilla and whip on medium-high just until incorporated, about 15 seconds.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a piping tip with the stiff meringue. Pipe swirls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. You can use various tips for different designs. They can be piped fairly close because they don’t spread. Place the baking sheet(s) into the preheated oven to bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off after baking and leave the meringues inside with the door closed for about 2 hours to allow them to completely finish drying.
Sponge Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 3-9” cake pans with parchment paper, but do not spray with baking spray or oil. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium-sized bowl, then set aside. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Whip on medium speed for 1 minute or until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar to the egg whites and continue whipping for about 1 minute. With the mixer still whipping, slowly stream in 1 cup of sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue whipping for another 2 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. When the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, the tip should drop.
While the meringue is whipping, combine the egg yolks, remaining ⅔ cup sugar, lemon, honey, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Carefully fold about half of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold in half of the flour mixture. Fold the last half of the flour mixture in very carefully. Next, fold in the vegetable oil. Lastly, fold all of this into the remaining egg whites.
Divide the batter equally into the prepared cake pans. Place the pans into the preheated oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Whipped Cream:
Place the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Whip on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip just until stiff.
Assembly:
To assemble the Eton Mess Cake, place a cake layer onto a cake plate or cake stand. Spread ⅓ of the whipped cream onto the cake layer, then sprinkle with fresh blueberries. Repeat with the next two cake layers, finishing with the remaining whipped cream on top.
Place meringues over the surface of the whipped cream. Then, add a mixture of fresh berries and fresh edible flowers on top of the whipped cream.
Serve soon after decorated! You can make ahead to the point of decorating and keep refrigerated.
Recipe Pro Tips!
Eton Mess Cake Tips
- Don’t over-whip the meringues – check the stiffness consistently. Over-whipping the meringue will cause it to eventually separate and go flat, so you will have to start over.
- Avoid keeping the meringues near moisture or abundant heat when they are done baking. Both moisture and too much heat will cause the meringues to melt.
- Take care and time folding each of the sponge cake ingredients together. Mixing too quickly can cause the meringue to deflate, making a soupy cake batter.
- If you want the meringues whiter, use a clear vanilla or other extract flavor that is clear.
How to Store an Eton Mess Cake
- Cover the cake in a storage cake box if possible. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Unfortunately, the meringues will get soft with the added moisture from the fruit.
DO YOU LOVE FRESH FRUIT IN DESSERTS?
We love berries and all sorts of fruit with desserts and more!! Here are some of our favorites!
Eton Mess Cake
Ingredients
Meringues:
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Sponge Cake:
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 8 eggs separated
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
Whipped Cream:
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Assembly:
- Blueberries
- Berries and edible flowers
Instructions
Meringues:
- Preheat the oven to 225 F. Line at least one large baking sheet with parchment paper, although you may need two baking sheets. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed for about 1 minute or until a micro foam begins to form. Add the cream of tartar and salt into the whites and continue whipping for about 30 seconds. With the mixer still running, slowly stream in the sugar, giving it time to dissolve.
- Once the sugar is completely incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip for 2-3 more minutes or until stiff peaks have formed. Add the vanilla and whip on medium-high just until incorporated, about 15 seconds.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a piping tip with the stiff meringue. Pipe swirls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. You can use various tips for different designs. They can be piped fairly close due to the fact that they don’t spread. Place the baking sheet(s) into the preheated oven to bake for 1 hour.
- Turn the oven off after baking and leave the meringues inside with the door closed for about 2 hours to allow them to completely finish drying.
Sponge Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 3-9” cake pans with parchment paper, but do not spray with baking spray or oil. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium-sized bowl, then set aside. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk.
- Whip on medium speed for 1 minute or until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar to the egg whites and continue whipping for about 1 minute. With the mixer still whipping, slowly stream in 1 cup of sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue whipping for another 2 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. When the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, the tip should drop.
- While the meringue is whipping, combine the egg yolks, remaining ⅔ cup sugar, lemon, honey and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Carefully fold about half of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- Gently fold in half of the flour mixture. Fold the last half of the flour mixture in very carefully. Next, fold in the vegetable oil. Lastly, fold all of this into the remaining egg whites.
- Divide the batter equally into the prepared cake pans. Place the pans into the preheated oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Whipped Cream:
- Place the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk.
- Whip on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip just until stiff.
Assembly:
- Place a cake layer onto a cake plate or cake stand. Spread ⅓ of the whipped cream onto the cake layer, then sprinkle with fresh blueberries. Repeat with the next two cake layers, finishing with the remaining whipped cream on top.
- Place meringues over the surface of the whipped cream. Then add a mixture of fresh berries on top of the whipped cream.
- Serve soon after decorated! You can make ahead to the point of decorating and keep refrigerated.
Let us know what you think!
We’d love to know what you and your family think! Make sure to leave a review below and follow us on your favorite social network!