Eton Mess Cake

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Soft, light, bouncy sponge cake layers combined with lightly sweetened whipped cream, layered with fresh, ripe blueberries, topped with sweet, crispy meringues and fresh fruit.

Prep Time2

Cook Time2 20

Total Time4 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: English

Keyword: cake, fresh fruit, meringue, whipped cream

Servings: servings

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Tara Noland

Equipment

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.

Notes

Please see the post for additional information and tips.

Nutrition