My husband wanted us to do the British Crown Meringue Cake. I wanted to make the Picnic Fit for a Queen for the Great British Bake Off. So, we made them both. The other challenge was Victoria sandwich, but I’ve already made the Victoria sponge.

After talking for a while, my husband said making the crown from meringue is the perfect interpretation of the task. I had to agree, even though it was scary. The first attempt didn’t work, but this is the second one and it’s stunning (I’m biased, I know).

Ingredients:
– 8 egg whites
– 80g caster sugar
– purple gel food colouring
– 5g cream of tartar
– 300ml whipping cream
– 50g icing sugar
– 200g frozen pitted sour cherries

Make the meringue by whisking the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whisking. Whisk at high speed for a few minutes, until is thickened and it’s glossy. In half of the meringue add food colouring and mix until you get the desired colour. Add some more if you want a more intense colour.

On the baking paper make three circles using a pencil and two different size plates. Turn the baking paper on the other side, so the pencil trace will not be touched by the meringue. Pipe the three layers; the large one white and the other two purple. Decorate the white layer with purple meringue. On one of the purple layers, make a white pattern.
For the top of the crown, put baking paper on a baking tray. Place a cake tin upside down on the tray and wrap it with baking paper. Pipe the white meringue and add purple details to it.

Bake for 2 hours at 100C or 80C fan without opening the oven. Turn off the oven. Leave the meringues in the oven to cool gradually. Take the meringues out of the oven.

In the whipping cream, add the food colouring and the icing sugar. Whisk the cream with a hand mixer. Defrost the sour cherries and remove the excess water by pressing them between your hands. Do this for a couple of times.

To assemble the cake, place the first layer on the plate. Put a handful of sour cherries in the middle of the layer. Make sure you don’t place cherries too much on the outside, they will be covered with the second layer of meringue. Pipe whipped cream on the bottom of the second layer and place it on the first layer. Repeat with the third layer. Pipe more whipped cream on top and place the top of the crown on it.