Lucuma meringue cake

This cake is so traditional in Chile, usually is bought at the family favorite bakery, actually I don't remember my mother ever doing it at home, is so easy to come by. But after moving to the USA, I didn't have another option than learning to do it by myself, and soon I was doing this cake for other Chilean families living here, is always welcome with cheers and sweet memories. 
Lucuma is a fruit native from Peru very well balance not to sweet, with a subtle floral flavor and grainy on the tongue, but pleasant. You can do the same cake with raspberry another favorite in my country or if you want a more tropical cake use passion fruit.


Lucuma meringue cake
for 20 people

Ingredients:
for the meringue,

• 6 large egg whites
• 1 cup plus 5 tablespoons of fine granulated sugar
• a pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Draw 4 circles of 20-22 cm/9" in diameter on parchment paper, leaving one ear on each circle, placed the parchment on a 2 baking sheets.
2. Preheat oven to 200F or 100 C.
3. Place egg whites and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer set with the whipping attachment. Whip at medium speed until the whites form soft peaks and hold when lift (without gliding down). Add the sugar slowly while continuing beating on medium speed, then whip on high speed for 8-10 minutes, until it looks silky and if you rub the meringue between your fingers do not feel any grains of sugar.
4. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag with a round tip of about half inch diameter or a Ziploc bag and cut one end. Fill on the pre-draw circles in a concentric motion starting from the outside in with the meringue. Spread with a knife to level or leave like that.
5. Bake for 1 ½ hours, the discs should feel dry to the touch but do not brown. Allow to cool in the oven. Once cooled wrapped without removing the parchment paper with plastic wrap and stored for up to 2-3 days. The meringue is fragile, treat it gently.

For the lucuma cream,

• 3 cups fresh liquid cream
• 1/2 cup of lucuma powder (available at Amazon or healthy stores)
• 9 tablespoon of granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Use a chilled bowl. Put the cream in the bowl and whip on high speed until it double in volume and form soft peaks. Add the lucuma powder and beat for 1 minute to fully incorporate in high speed.
2. Assemble the cake alternating merengue disc (remember to remove the parchment paper) and lucuma cream, cover with cream all over and decorate with sliced ​​almonds browned in the oven or pan (the classic decoration in Chile) or be creative with the lucuma cream. Storage the cake frozen, remove to the refrigerator 2 hours before serving, serve cold.
3. If you want to do the decoration of the photo must first cover the entire cake with a thin layer of cream especially on the edge. Place the remaining cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (can be open or closed), I use a closed star tip (Ateco # 846) and make the roses starting at center and making 2 concentric circles and a half, fill the small spaces with garlands going in the same direction of roses nearby.

Decoration idea adapted  from I am baker.