Name: Lucuma Cake with Meringue
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Chilean
Ingredients: 6 large egg whites; 1 cup plus 5 tablespoons of fine granulated sugar; a pinch of salt; 3 cups heavy cream; 1/2 cup of lucuma powder (available at Amazon or health stores); 9 tablespoon of granulated sugar

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Versión en español

This Lucuma Meringue Cake is very traditional in Chile and is usually bought at the favorite family bakery. I don’t remember my mother ever doing it at home. It is so easy to come. But after moving to the USA, I didn’t have another option other than learning to do it by myself, and soon, I was making this cake for other Chilean families living here, which is always welcome with cheers and sweet memories.

Lucuma is a fruit native to Peru that is very well balanced, not too sweet, with a subtle floral flavor and grainy on the tongue, but pleasant. You can make the exact cake with raspberry, another favorite in my country, or if you want a more tropical cake, use passion fruit.

Tips for a spectacular meringue cake:

Why is meringue cake sold frozen?

The meringue absorbs moisture and loses crispness very quickly. One way to preserve and avoid this is to keep the cake frozen. Keeping the cake frozen is especially important if you live in a humid climate: you must make the meringues on a dry day without rain, and as soon as they are cold, fill the cake, decorate it, and keep it frozen. Move it into the refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

What fillings are popular in Chile?

Raspberry is a classic. You can also add mango jam or lemon curd.
Generally, any fresh fruit: mango, kiwi, strawberries, peaches, not overly ripe works well, and any fruit puree: lucuma or chestnut. Jams are also common.

Here, you can see the recipe for the meringue-chestnut.

How do I store the meringue cake?

I recommend keeping it frozen for up to 3 months.

How to achieve a firm whipped cream?

There are three fundamental factors: the cream, the bowl, and the blades must be cold. The cream’s fat percentage must be at least 36%, that is, 36 grams of fat per 100 grams of liquid cream. Lower fat creams are not as stable. Mix at high speed. Other factors, such as adding the sugar initially or later, are not critical.

How do you separate yolks and whites?

Eggs are easier to separate when cold, so you can put them in the fridge for a couple of hours and then separate them. I recommend cracking the egg on the flat counter, not the counter’s edge or bowl. The rest is practice.

What are the different types of meringue, and when to use them?

French: the most common and straightforward. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the sugar gradually, and beat everything until the meringue is white and silky. It is less stable, but the one with more air—is ideal for souffles.
Italian: it is the most stable. It is made by adding hot sugar syrup to the egg whites while beating.
Swiss: It is made by heating the egg whites and sugar and whisking until cool. Here, you can see the method in detail—the best for decorating pies.

What is the standard egg size in pastry?

Recipes in the US are written for large eggs, which weigh about 65 grams in the shell.
Without shell: 50 grams: 35 grams the egg white, 15 grams the yolk.

With what knife do I cut the cake?

It is better to use a serrated knife. It crumbles less.

Maybe you would also like the recipe: Lucuma Ice Cream.