KEY LIME MERINGUE CAKE

KEY LIME MERINGUE CAKE image

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

For Cake:
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 tspn salt
4lg eggs, at room temperature
2/3 c sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 tspn freshly grated key zest
3 tbsps almond oil/canola oil
For Lime filling:
1 14-ounce can nonfat sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c key lime juice,
1 tspn grated key lime zest,
For Meringue:
2 lg egg whites,room temp, or equivalent dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
1/4 c sugar
Ingredient Note:
Key limes are more fragrant, acidic & juicy than the common lime found in U.S. Look for the small, round limes with yellow-green skin in the specialty-produce section or Latin food markets.
Dried egg whites are pasteurized-a wise choice when making an uncooked meringue. They're also convenient when you have no use for leftover yolks. Find them in the baking/ natural-foods section of supermarkets.
Cake-Baking Tips
When using cake pans,must be greased & floured to create a thin layer of protection against the oven's heat. For greater convenience, use cooking spray that has flour in the mix, (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, its a better choice for tender baked goods.
Room-temp butter for batter is a big culinary missteps. butter must be below 68°F to trap air molecules & build structure.
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 min 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 & 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.

Steps:

To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray with flour; alternatively, coat the pans with cooking spray, line them with parchment paper & spray the paper. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour & salt in a medium bowl. Beat 4 eggs and 2/3 c sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale yellow & doubled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla and 1 tspn lime zest. 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. 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. To prepare lime filling: Whisk condensed milk, lime juice & 1 tspn lime zest in a medium bowl until combined. Refrigerate until thickened, at least 30 minutes or overnight. 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 c sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. 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 & valleys in the meringue with a rubber spatula. Broil until lightly browned, watching carefully to prevent burning, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 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.