In each half of the tray, I used a piping bag, but if you don’t have one, a freezer bag cut at a corner can work wonders. I carefully placed strips of meringue, alternating with spaces, so that I had a total of six strips of meringue on each half of the tray. Between the meringue strips, I poured the two strips of sponge cake using the same bag, making sure they were evenly distributed.
I baked the composition in the preheated oven at a minimum temperature, somewhere between 140 and 150 °C, for at least an hour. It is important to check the state of the meringue from time to time until it develops a firm and slightly golden crust. While I waited for it to bake, I took care of the whipped cream. I whipped the cream with sugar, as I wanted to add a layer of cream over the cake to give it a cake-like appearance. I set aside a portion of the cream, about one fifth, to use later.
At the same time, I prepared the gelatin. I let it soak, and when it swelled, I melted it in a saucepan. It is important to note that the gelatin should not be melted directly over the heat. I held the saucepan a few centimeters above the flame, so that the heat would gradually melt it. Ideally, you would melt it using a double boiler, but my method worked and was quick.
After the gelatin melted, I slowly added it to the whipped cream while continuing to beat the cream with the mixer, to ensure it was evenly incorporated. If you don’t do this, there is a risk that the gelatin will harden and form lumps. I took a few tablespoons of the whipped cream and mixed them with granulated coffee to obtain an intense coffee flavor. Then, I combined this mixture with the rest of the whipped cream.
After the sponge cake and meringue layers were baked, I took them out of the oven and gently peeled them off the parchment paper. I chose the least attractive layer to place first, as I usually do. On top of this layer, I spread the whipped cream with coffee, and above I placed the other layer. I covered everything with a thin layer of plain whipped cream and left the cake in the fridge for a few hours, ideally overnight.
Before serving the cake, I sprinkled powdered sugar on top. The longer it stays in the fridge, the better it cuts. The sponge cake took on a deep yellow hue due to the large number of egg yolks used, and I used special eggs from hens that eat corn, which gives them an excellent color. This cake is a perfect delight for any occasion, and the combination of meringue, sponge cake, and coffee whipped cream makes it truly irresistible.
Ingredients
for meringue 4 egg whites 6 tablespoons granulated sugar 6 tablespoons (heaped) powdered sugar (from the purchased kind that contains starch; otherwise, if you choose to use granulated sugar, you need to add a teaspoon of starch) for the yellow sponge cake 4 egg yolks 2 whole eggs 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 7 tablespoons cake flour in some recipes it mentions: a pinch of baking powder (I didn't add it unfortunately, but especially for those who are not experts in sponge cakes, it's good to add it; I will put it next time) filling 500 g fresh cream for whipping (I used the fresh kind that stays in the fridge next to the milk, not whipped cream in UHT containers) 2 tablespoons of instant coffee powdered sugar to taste (I think I added 4-5 tablespoons; it should be tasted especially after adding the coffee) 1 packet of whipping cream stabilizer (I didn't have it, it can't be found in the village store, so I used 15 g of gelatin, even less would have worked)