Rhubarb Meringue Cake

This cake is so versatile and so delicious for any occasion! With two layers of vanilla cake, a rhubarb and raspberry compote filling, topped with toasted meringue, this is my take on a German Rhubarb Meringue Cake.

Prep Time30

Cook Time55

Cooling2

Total Time3 25

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: meringue, rhubarb

Servings:

Calories: 199kcal

Equipment

Stand Mixer
9" Spring Form Pan
Sauce Pot

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

3 eggs large, room temperature
150 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
100 milliliters vegetable oil or other neutral oil
100 milliliters water
100 grams all purpose flour
50 grams corn starch
1 teaspoon baking powder

Rhubarb Compote

600 grams rhubarb rinsed, edges trimmed, more to taste, 5-6 stalks
75 grams granulated sugar
75 milliliters water
1 lemon zested
1/2 lemon juiced more to taste
150 grams frozen raspberries

Meringue

3 egg whites 90 grams
150 grams granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Vanilla Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Line a 9" springform pan with a piece of parchment paper or with baking spray that includes flour.
In the bowl of a mixer, add in the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Use the whisk attachment to whisk on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy and the lines of the whisk appear in the egg mixture.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the oil and water until just mixed.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, and corn starch.
Use the whisk attachment by hand to gently mix in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, the batter should no longer be clumpy.
Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick, inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Rhubarb Compote

Rinse the rhubarb stalks and cut off both ends of each stalk.
Cut the stalks into 1/2" chunks. If needed, cut any extra wide stalks in half lengthwise so that they are all approximately the same size.
Add the rhubarb along with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, raspberries, and water, into a large pan or medium pot.
Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir regularly while it cooks.
It will go from just simmering to the fruit broken down and very bubbly, then the mixture will reduce and the bubbles and compote will thicken. Once it has thickened, you can taste and see if it needs more sugar or lemon juice.
Remove the compote from the heat and pour into a heat safe container or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before storing in the fridge.

Meringue

*If you want more meringue on top, use 4 egg whites (120 grams of egg whites) and 200 grams granulated sugar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a sauce pot (the top of the pot should be small enough that the mixing bowl sits on top without touching the water), heat 2 inches of water over medium heat until just simmering. Place the mixing bowl on top of the pot and turn the heat down to low.
Whisk constantly until all of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is white and frothy. To tell when it's done, pinch the mixture between your fingers and see if you can feel the sugar granules. It is done when the sugar has fully dissolved. This should take about 5 minutes.
Once dissolved take the bowl off the pot and turn the heat off. Immediately place the bowl on your mixer and use the whisk attachment to whip on high until tripled in volume and shiny. The lines should be stiff but it will still be stretchy.

Assemble Rhubarb Meringue Cake

Once cooled, cut the vanilla cake in to two even layers (as even as you can).
Lift the top layer off the cake. Spoon as much of the raspberry rhubarb compote onto the bottom layer as you can. Spread it out, in an even layer, all the way to the edges of the cake with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
Place the top layer of cake on top of the compote and press down slightly.
Scoop the meringue onto the top layer of cake (don't dust with powdered sugar first, do so after toasting if desired). Spread it out or leave it centered on the cake.
Toast the meringue as desired with a kitchen torch. Serve immediately!

Notes

Err on the side of baking the cake for 35 minutes rather than 30 as it can have a tendency to sink slightly but the oil will keep it from drying out.
Allow the cake to cool fully before slicing and assembling.
Many people like to peel rhubarb but it is not necessary! Simply be sure to rinse it off, cut of any green leaf sections and the ends where they were removed from the plant.
This compote doesn't need to be stirred constantly but don't forget about it as it will burn if you do. It can be cooked in either a large pan or medium pot, it will cook quicker in a pan but will also require more frequent stirring.
If the compote is ever too tart, you can always add more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it is as sweet as you want. Be sure to think about what you will be serving it with, if it is with meringue you may want to keep it more tart to balance out the sweetness.
When making the meringue, it won't take long, so don't walk away. We don't want the egg whites to turn into scrambled eggs. If you want MORE meringue on the cake, simply do 4 egg whites (120 grams) and 200 grams of granulated sugar.
It's not necessary to torch the meringue as the egg whites have been fully cooked, but it is fun and adds a nice texture. If you are using a kitchen torch (DON'T USE A BLOWTORCH), please be careful!

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