Unquestionably delicious, fit for royalty, it’s sans rival with a pistachio twist! Take on the challenge and prepare this nutty layer cake with meringue sheets for your next special occasion.
Ingredients
Pistachio meringue sheets
- Egg whites, 9
- Sugar, 250g
- Pistachios, 200g
- Cornstarch, 30g
- Powdered sugar, 15g
Cream
- Egg yolks, 9
- Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon
- Sugar, 150g
- Water, 100ml
- Lime, 1
- Vanilla bean, 1
- Butter, 250g
Decoration
- Pistachios, 50g
Preparation
Take the butter out of the refrigerator early enough for it to be soft when needed. Grate the lime zest and squeeze the juice. Crush the pistachios in a grinder. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Separate egg whites from yolks. Transfer egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, gradually adding sugar. Add cornstarch and sifted powdered sugar to the beaten meringue. Gently and thoroughly mix everything using a spatula.
On sheets of parchment paper, draw four equal circles with a diameter of about 18 cm. Turn the paper over so that the drawings are facing down and place them on baking sheets. Transfer the prepared meringue mixture into a piping bag, cut off the tip, and pipe circles within the previously drawn outlines. Sprinkle the prepared meringue circles with crushed pistachios. Dry them in the oven for about 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 120°C and bake for another 30 minutes. Once baked, allow the meringue sheets to cool thoroughly.
Prepare a sugar syrup by boiling water and dissolving sugar in it. In a metal bowl, mix egg yolks thoroughly with cornstarch. Gradually and slowly pour hot syrup into the egg mixture while stirring continuously. In a small saucepan, boil a small amount of water. Place the metal bowl with egg yolks and sugar syrup over the saucepan and beat until the mixture thickens. Then add lime juice and grated zest. Continue beating for a while, then remove from heat.
Transfer the egg yolk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until the cream cools and becomes airy. Gradually add softened butter in pieces, beating for a few more minutes until the cream becomes uniform and thick. Transfer the finished cream to a piping bag and cut off the tip.
On a serving platter or plate, place a meringue sheet and pipe the prepared cream onto it. Repeat the process for all the meringue sheets. Finally, evenly sprinkle the cake with crushed pistachios. Chill the finished cake in the refrigerator for about 1-1.5 hours.
