Cake Recipes

Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

This Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe is an elegant and decadent recipe, which features layers of creamy custard and crisp meringue. It’s a show-stopping dessert, ready in about 3 hours.

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Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe Ingredients

Sponge cake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar
  • 1 cup flour, sifted
  • Pinch salt

Pastry cream:

  • 3 3/4 cups milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup superfine sugar
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Meringue:

  • 6 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups sugar

Garnish and Assembly:

  • 4 tablespoons Creme de Cacao
  • 4 tablespoons almond slivers
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, sifted
Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe
Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

How To Make Frogmill Meringue Gateau

  1. Make the Sponge Cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease, sugar, and flour an 8-inch cake tin. Place the eggs and sugar into a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie). Whisk continuously for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale and has thickened significantly. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk for 2 more minutes to cool slightly. Gently fold in the sifted flour and salt. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
  2. Bake and Cool the Sponge: Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
  3. Make the Pastry Cream: In a saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then add the flour and whisk until smooth. To temper the eggs, gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, pouring slowly to prevent scrambling.
  4. Thicken and Cool the Cream: Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and place it over gentle heat. Whisk constantly until the cream comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in the almond extract, lower the heat, and let it cook for another 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and place a piece of buttered waxed paper directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool completely.
  5. Make the Meringue: In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the almond extract, then gently fold in the sugar. The final mixture should be very thick and glossy.
  6. Assemble the Cake Layers: Using a long serrated knife, carefully cut the cooled sponge cake into three even horizontal layers. Place the bottom layer on a large, round oven-safe dish. Soak the layer with half of the Creme de Cacao. Spread with half of the cooled pastry cream and sprinkle with half of the almond slivers.
  7. Finish Layering: Place the middle cake layer on top, soak it with the remaining Creme de Cacao, and spread with the remaining pastry cream and almond slivers. Place the final cake layer on top.
  8. Cover with Meringue: Preheat the oven to 500°F. Spread a thin, smooth layer of the meringue over the entire cake to “crumb coat” it. Fill a large piping bag fitted with a rose-shaped tip with the remaining meringue. Pipe the meringue in decorative vertical loops around the sides and on top of the cake.
  9. Brown and Serve: Dust the entire cake with sifted confectioners’ sugar. Place it in the extremely hot oven for just 3 minutes to lightly brown the meringue tips. Serve immediately.
Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe
Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

Recipe Tips

  • The Sponge Method: This sponge uses a “genoise” technique where eggs and sugar are heated. This dissolves the sugar and creates a more stable foam, resulting in a lighter cake. Ensure the water in the pot doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.
  • Tempering Eggs: When adding hot milk to yolks for the pastry cream, do it very slowly while whisking vigorously. If you dump the milk in all at once, you will end up with scrambled eggs in milk.
  • Meringue Stability: Ensure your bowl and beaters are perfectly clean and free of grease before whipping egg whites. Even a speck of yolk can prevent stiff peaks from forming.
  • Watch the Oven: The final step at 500°F is essentially “broiling” the cake to brown the meringue (similar to Baked Alaska). Do not walk away; it can burn in seconds.

What To Serve With Frogmill Meringue Gateau

This cake is rich, creamy, and very sweet, so it needs beverages that provide balance.

  • Strong, black coffee or espresso
  • Tart berries (raspberries or blackberries) on the side
  • A dry sparkling wine or Champagne
  • Unsweetened herbal tea
Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe
Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

How To Store Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

  • Serve Immediately: This cake is best served immediately after browning. The meringue will start to weep and the sponge will get soggy from the liqueur and cream over time.
  • Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Note that the meringue texture will become soft and sticky.
  • Freeze: This cake does not freeze well due to the high dairy content in the pastry cream and the delicate nature of the meringue.

Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 680
  • Total Fat: 22g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Cholesterol: 280mg
  • Sodium: 190mg
  • Total Carbohydrates: 110g
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g
  • Sugar: 85g
  • Protein: 14g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Can I use a different liqueur?

Yes, Creme de Cacao adds a chocolate note, but you could use Amaretto (to boost the almond flavor), Kahlua (coffee flavor), or a simple sugar syrup flavored with vanilla if you want to avoid alcohol.

Can I make the components ahead of time?

Yes. You can bake the sponge cake a day ahead (wrap tightly). You can also make the pastry cream a day ahead (keep refrigerated). However, make the meringue and assemble the cake just before serving.

Why did my pastry cream get lumpy?

Lumps happen if the mixture isn’t whisked constantly while thickening. If this happens, push the warm pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lumps before cooling.

Frogmill Meringue Gateau Recipe

Recipe by LuluCourse: DessertCuisine: French-InspiredDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Calories

680

kcal

This Frogmill Meringue Gateau is a spectacular tiered dessert featuring almond-scented sponge cake, rich pastry cream, and a toasted meringue shell.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs (for sponge)

  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar (for sponge)

  • 1 cup flour, sifted (for sponge)

  • Pinch salt

  • 3 3/4 cups milk

  • 6 egg yolks

  • 3/4 cup superfine sugar (for cream)

  • 3/4 cup flour (for cream)

  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (for cream)

  • 6 egg whites

  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (for meringue)

  • 2 cups sugar (for meringue)

  • 4 tablespoons Creme de Cacao

  • 4 tablespoons almond slivers

  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake tin.
  • Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup sugar over hot water until thick; fold in flour and salt.
  • Bake sponge for 25 minutes. Cool completely.
  • Make pastry cream: temper yolks/sugar/flour mixture with hot milk.
  • Cook cream until thickened; add almond extract. Cool with wax paper on top.
  • Whip egg whites to stiff peaks; fold in 2 cups sugar and almond extract.
  • Slice sponge into 3 layers.
  • Layer sponge, Creme de Cacao, pastry cream, and almonds. Repeat.
  • Cover cake with meringue and pipe decorative loops.
  • Dust with confectioners’ sugar and bake at 500°F for 3 minutes to brown.

Notes

  • Oven Safety: Ensure your serving dish is oven-safe for the final 500°F blast. If not, assemble on a baking sheet and transfer to a serving platter carefully (though this is difficult).
  • Meringue Seal: Try to ensure the meringue touches the plate all the way around the bottom; this seals the cake and prevents the cream from melting out during the high-heat browning.
  • Texture: The sugar in the meringue is folded in, not beaten in, which creates a specific texture distinct from a pavlova.

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