This Raspberry Meringue Cream Cake somehow manages to be both decadent and light. A perfectly moist and fluffy vanilla cream sponge is layered with raspberry jam, whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and crushed meringue cookies for a delightful sweet-tart-creamy-crisp combination. Save this cake for a special occasion, or keep slices in the freezer to pull out and enjoy with a cup of coffee any day!
We may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.
I am the birthday cake maker in my house, despite not being overly fond of most birthday cakes. Luckily, the members of my family like to be adventurous in their dessert choices. My husband in particular loves it when I think outside the box for his May birthday.
Enter this Raspberry Meringue Cream Cake recipe. It’s decadent enough to be a celebratory cake, but light enough to let the flavor of fresh raspberries shine. (Plus, I avoided having to make or use frosting, which I often find to be overly sweet and cloying).
I just planted raspberry bushes this spring, so it’s a bit early to be using my own berries. But this recipe will be on repeat once I’m harvesting my own fruit! I always watch the grocery store for sales on berries, then freeze them in bulk when they’re available. This time, the raspberries were about 50 cents for each 6-oz container – time to stock up!
What is a cream cake?
This cream cake recipe is remarkably simple. Most of the liquid and fat in the cake itself comes from heavy whipping cream, which makes it both moist and light. The cake is sturdy enough to hold up to a lot of filling, but light enough to be a perfect backdrop for fresh raspberries.
The idea of the whipped cream-meringue cookie filling was inspired by the classic British dessert Eton mess. The dessert is a simple layered mixture of fresh fruit, whipped cream, and crushed meringue cookies. Sounds like the perfect cake filling to me (no need for frosting!).
How To Make Raspberry Meringue Cream Cake
First line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Flour and butter the pans to prevent the cakes from sticking. You can also spray the pans with cooking spray, but in my experience the flour and butter works better.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the cream at high speed until stiff peaks form. The cream should be very thick and hold its shape when you pick up the whisk. Transfer the whipped cream to a large bowl.
Clean out the bowl of the stand mixer, then beat the eggs until thick and very pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla. Fold the egg mixture into the whipped cream very gently until completely combined, keeping as much air in the mixture as possible.
In a small bowl, toss the raspberries with 2 teaspoons of flour and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients into the egg/cream mixture about ½ cup at a time, folding until completely combined before adding more. When you add the last of the flour mixture, also stir in the flour-coated raspberries until they are evenly distributed in the batter.
The cake batter should be very airy, but very thick. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans.
Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert them onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Once the cakes are cool, make the whipped cream filling. Whip the cream in a stand mixer until stiff peaks, and add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Then mix in the marshmallow fluff until combined.
Crush the meringue cookies in a bowl, or in a bag with a rolling pin, until they are broken up into bite-sized pieces. Stir the meringue pieces into the whipped cream mixture, along with 6 ounces of fresh or frozen raspberries.
Assembly time! Spread the bottom cake layer with raspberry jam, then pile on about 1/3 of the whipped cream-meringue mixture. Place the next cake on top, and repeat (jam, cream mixture), and do the same with the last cake layer. Decorate the top of the cake with some extra raspberries. Cut and serve right away!
This cake freezes really well, if you happen to have any leftovers. Cut into slices, wrap with plastic wrap or waxed paper, and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months – if it lasts that long!
Recipe tips
- For this recipe, fresh and frozen raspberries can be used interchangeably. I would recommend using fresh berries for the filling, if possible, to keep from adding extra liquid as the berries thaw.
- Other berries would work great in this recipe too! Strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries would be perfect – or combine them all and make it a mixed berry cake.
- You can use store-bought meringues, like these from Trader Joes. I used this recipe to make my own vanilla meringue cookies.
Raspberry Meringue Cream Cake
Equipment
- 3 8-inch round cake pans
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour + 2 teaspoons
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) fresh or frozen raspberries not thawed
Filling:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- 1 container (6 ounces) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 8 ounces good quality raspberry jam
- About 20 vanilla meringue cookies such as Trader Joes
Instructions
Bake the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position the racks toward the middle of the oven.
- Butter and flour the cake pans. Cut out parchment circles to fit the bottom of three 8-inch round cake pans (or two 9-inch cake pans). Spray a little cooking spray on the bottom of the pan, then adhere the parchment circle to the pan. Use a paper towel to spread butter or shortening around the inside of the pan, covering the entire surface. Put a spoonful of flour in the pan and shake around so it adheres to the butter.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Whip the cream on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. The cream should be very thick and hold its shape when you pick up the whisk. Transfer the whipped cream to a large bowl.
- Rinse and dry out the stand mixer bowl, then crack the eggs inside it. Beat the eggs on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, or until they are very thick, airy, and pale yellow.
- Add the vanilla to the beaten eggs, then pour the egg mixture into the whipped cream. With a spatula, gently fold the eggs into the cream until fully combined and smooth. Take care to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
- In a small bowl, toss the raspberries with about 2 teaspoons of flour until coated; set aside.
- Add the flour mixture into the cream mixture about ½ cup at a time, folding gently to combine after each addition of flour. When you add the last ½ cup of flour mixture, also add in the flour-coated raspberries. Fold gently until the batter is smooth and no floury parts remain. Keep as much air in the batter as possible. The batter will be very thick, but still light and airy.
- Divide the batter among the cake pans evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes (30-35 minutes if using two 9-inch pans), until the cakes are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Make the Meringue Filling:
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on high speed until thickened (but not stiff), then gradually add the tablespoon of powdered sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Add in the marshmallow fluff and mix until combined.
- Place the meringue cookies in a bowl, then break them up by hand into pieces. Or, place the cookies in a plastic bag, and break them up using a rolling pin. The meringue pieces should be bite-sized, but not too small.
- Fold the meringue pieces into the whipped cream mixture. Then fold in the fresh or frozen raspberries until evenly distributed.
Assemble the Cake:
- Set the bottom cake on a cake plate or stand. Spread an even layer of raspberry jam on the cake, then mound up about 1/3 of the whipped cream/meringue filling on top.
- Place the next cake layer on the filling, then repeat the same steps – raspberry jam, then meringue filling.
- For the top layer, spread the raspberry jam, mound up the filling, then decorate with some whole raspberries on top.
- Slice and enjoy! Leftover filling will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Store the cake in the refrigerator, or wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 3 months.
TIPS
- For this recipe, fresh and frozen raspberries can be used interchangeably. I would recommend using fresh berries for the filling, if possible, to keep from adding extra liquid as the berries thaw.
- Other berries would work great in this recipe too! Strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries would be perfect – or combine them all and make it a mixed berry cake.
