Meringue Cake

Meringue Cake

Makes 8 servings

The crisp shells burst into sugary air on contact. Ethereal when stuffed with ice cream and served in slices.

What I love about this dessert is that it is absolutely minimalist—beautiful in its striking simplicity. Serve it on a clear glass plate, no garnish. But, of course, it also takes to being accompanied: fruit, sauce, flowers, or herbs are all right with this cake. Switch the ice cream inside depending on the occasion.

The cake is a breeze to make and assemble, but it will be at least a day and a half before you can eat it. In a way that’s nice, because it means you can spread out the tasks. The meringues have to bake for 90 minutes, which gives you more than enough time to prep the ice cream base and chill it overnight. Then churn the ice cream right before you layer it between the disks—you’ll want it soft, just out of the ice cream machine. Then put the cake in the freezer to harden for two or three hours.

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• Base for 1 batch ice cream of your choice (prepped the day before and chilled overnight)

1. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°F. Draw an 8-inch circle on each of two sheets of parchment, flip the paper over, and line two large baking sheets with the parchment.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a large bowl at medium-low speed until just frothy, about 45 seconds. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the egg whites until they are white and thick (the consistency of shaving cream), about 2 minutes. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar, beating until incorporated, then beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. (Turn the beater upside down: if the peaks do not droop, they are ready.)
3. Fit a pastry bag with a ¼-inch plain tip and fill with the meringue. Pipe the meringue in a spiral, in each traced circle, starting from the center and working your way out. Bake for 1½ hours, or until the exteriors of the meringues are smooth, dry, and firm. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for several hours.
4. Layer a piece of parchment between the meringues, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.
5. The next day, remove the frozen canister from the freezer, assemble your ice cream machine, and turn it on. Pour the ice cream base into the freezer and spin until thick and creamy. When the ice cream is done, turn off the machine and leave the ice cream in it.
6. Remove one meringue shell from the freezer and place it upside down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Working quickly, spoon and spread about 2 inches of ice cream onto the meringue, going to about ½ inch from the edge. Remove the second meringue from the freezer and quickly place it on top, right side up. Put the meringue cake back in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day.
7. Pack the remaining ice cream into a storage container. Press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours, to serve at another time.
8. To serve, remove the cake from the freezer, slice into 8 pieces, and serve immediately.