Cornmeal Layer Cake And Orange Meringue With Citrus And Tropical Fruit

by Chef Joanne Yolles

This dessert is a real winner. Garnish with oranges, grapefruit, fresh mint slices, mango slices and a dusting of icing sugar.

Orange meringues:
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind

Cornmeal cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 cup buttermilk

Cream Filling:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 275 F.

Beat egg whites to soft peaks, using an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until mixture is stiff and glossy. Beat in cornstarch, vinegar, vanilla and orange rind.

Spoon mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, using an oval soup spoon to form 10 to 12 meringues. Bake for 50 minutes or until meringues are dry and crisp, but still soft in the centre.
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in cornmeal and set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar with a mixer, using the paddle attachment, until light in colour. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add orange rind and juice and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry. Beat until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick.

Spread batter evenly in a parchment-lined, 8-inch square baking pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a chilled bowl and beat together until stiff. Refrigerate until serving.

Turn cake out of pan and use a serrated knife to trim the top to make it level. Cut cake into 9 squares and cut each square horizontally in half. Spoon some cream filling onto bottom half of each cake square. Place second layer of cake on top and add another dollop of cream. Top with a meringue and sift icing sugar over top.

Place on a dessert plate and surround with a medley of fresh citrus and tropical fruits. Garnish with mint leaves or lemon balm and serve.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

The beverage here should be sweet but need not be as dense and decadent as a concentrated icewine. Southern France is a source of nicely balanced white dessert wines to complement this dish, notably Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, a fortified wine with considerable alcohol (15 per cent or more). Another option is Monbazillac, from the country’s southwest, a sort of poor man’s Sauternes. Or you could mortgage the house and actually serve a Sauternes. Also from southern France is the fresh, fruity Muscat de Rivesaltes. From Ontario, a good choice would be late-harvest riesling. For a more refreshing lift, especially at brunch or lunch, consider a sweet sparkling wine, such as Asti Spumante from Italy.