Sunshine = Raspberry-Hazelnut Meringue Cake

Another one of my finds during my quest for used cookbooks at antique malls over the weekend was Baking-Easy to make great home bakes.  A 2001 publication.  Again, antique?  I think not!  Skimming quickly through it yesterday in search of something fruity for the sunshine we have going on here today in Missouri. I found a Raspberry-Hazelnut Meringue Cake recipe that I just had to try.  7 ingredients total!  I love a short ingredient list!

Raspberry-Hazelnut Meringue Cake
Yield: 8 - 10 serving

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 4 egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 1/2 pounds raspberries, about 3 pints

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line the bottom of 2 8-inch cake pans with wax paper and grease.
2. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes.  Let cool slightly.
3. Rub the hazelnuts vigorously in a clean dish towel to remove most of the skins.
4. Grind the nuts in a food processor, blender, or nut grinder until they are the consistency of coarse sand.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 300.
6. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they hold stiff peaks.  Beat in 2 tablespoons of the sugar, then fold in the remaining sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, with a rubber spatula.  Fold in the vanilla and the hazelnuts.
7. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread level.
8. Bake for 1/14 hours.  If the meringues brown too quickly, protect with a sheets of foil.  Let stand 5 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen.   
9. Transfer to a rack to cool. 
10. For the filling, whip the cream just until firm.
11. Spread half the cream in an even layer on one meringue round and top with half the raspberries.
    Top with the other meringue round.  Spread the remaining cream on top and arrange the remaining raspberries over the cream.
12. Refrigerate for 1 hour to facilitate cutting.
    

~ Enjoy!