Makrut Lime Meringue Cakes With Lime Scented Papaya Recipes

MERINGUE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a simmer. In a stainless-steel bowl, whisk together egg whites and both sugars. Place over simmering water, and whisk mixture constantly until hot to the touch. Remove from heat.
• With an electric mixer set on high speed, whip mixture until stiff and shiny. Add orange extract, and whip an additional few seconds. Smooth over surface of cake.

KEY LIME MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Heat oven to 350°F. with rack in middle. Butter cake pans, then line bottoms with rounds of parchment. Dust pans with additional flour, knocking out excess.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes more. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
• Divide batter between cake pans, spreading it evenly. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool for 15 minutes in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around sides of pans, invert cake layers onto racks, and cool completely.
• For Filling:
• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, then whisk in 3/4 cup water and juice until smooth. Whisk together eggs in a medium heat-proof bowl until well combined.
• Bring juice mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring with whisk, then reduce heat and continue to cook at a slow boil, stirring with whisk, 1 minute (mixture will be thick). Remove pan from heat.
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, stirring with whisk. Stir egg mixture into juice in pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, just until it reaches a simmer. Remove pan from heat and add butter and zest, stirring until butter is melted.
• Cover filling with a buttered round of wax paper or parchment paper and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
• For Frosting:
• Combine frosting ingredients in a large bowl with electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment). Beat at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Assemble Cake:
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or a large plate and spread with one-third of filling (about 2/3 cup).
• Stack remaining cake layers using half of remaining filling between each layer.
• Spread top and side of cake generously with frosting.

MAKRUT LIME MERINGUE CAKES WITH LIME-SCENTED PAPAYA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the makrut lime leaves or lime zest in a bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Repeat until the leaves are curled and brittle or the zest is dry and crumbly. Finely chop the leaves, if using. Set aside a large pinch of chopped leaves or zest, then sift the remaining leaves or zest with the confectioners' sugar, pushing them through the sifter.
• In a mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar, then gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar and continue whisking until the peaks are firm and glossy. By hand, fold in 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla and the confectioners'-sugar mixture.
• Drop 6 grapefruit-size dollops of meringue onto the baking sheet. Create a well in the center of each mound. Press the remaining makrut lime leaves (or lime zest) through a sifter to dust the meringue tops. Put the baking sheet in the oven, close the door and turn off the heat. Leave for 4 hours.
• In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, whisk together 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup sugar, cream, egg yolks, salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Cover and cool.
• Just before serving, mix the papaya, remaining lime juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest and chili. Place a meringue on each of 6 plates. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons custard into the well of each meringue, and top with papaya. Sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon sea salt.