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There are many good reasons why rhubarb pie with meringue is such a popular classic. The combo - moist sponge, sweet and tart topping, and fluffy egg whites - is simply unbeatable. On top of that, the rhubarb meringue pie looks really pretty. Just this delicate pink 🙂
Taste and Occasion
I always stick to tried and tested recipes for this delicious springtime pastry. Specifically, a mix of grandma's rhubarb meringue pie and my sister-in-law's grandma's version. Don't worry: the recipe is less complicated than the relationship mentioned….
By the way, the meringue rhubarb pie in the pictures is the most expensive of my baking career so far 😉 . No, I did not hide gold leaf in it. Just rhubarb bought at the beginning of the season, when it was not yet available in the supermarket. At the Munich Viktualienmarkt. The price really hurt…
In return, I'm sure I'll be able to remember this special rhubarb pie with meringue years from now. Just like the pitahaya fruit from 10 years ago, which Jan and I bought for 12 euros. It didn't even taste good. Very different from this utterly delicious rhubarb meringue pie.
Ingredients
The basis: a particularly juicy, lush sponge cake. The difference to the normal sponge is that here I replace part of the flour with ground almonds. These provide a particularly fine flavor, which harmonizes super with the rhubarb, and also more moisture in the dough.
In addition, there are only 3 egg yolks in it, because you need the whites for the meringue. (Speaking of which, do you know the currant meringue pie?) As usual for sunken fruit pies, you need small pieces of rhubarb.
How to make the rhubarb cake with meringue
The recipe for this delicious rhubarb cake is super simple! First of all, clean the rhubarb and cut it into small pieces. Grease a springform pan (10 inches/26 cm) and dust it with some flour. Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
Now, beat the soft butter with the sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Then, separate 3 eggs and set aside the egg whites for the meringue topping. Add egg yolks and 1 whole egg, one at a time, beating the mixture well each time.
For the next step, mix flour with almonds, lemon zest and baking powder. Stir in alternately with the milk. The dough should fall from the spoon with difficulty tearing. And finally, you can fold in the chopped almonds.
Now, pour the batter into the pan, smooth it out and top with rhubarb pieces and press them in lightly. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes.
After about 30 minutes of baking, prepare the meringue. Beat the egg whites with salt until they become half stiff. Then slowly add the sugar and beat everything until completely stiff. Spread meringue on the pre-baked cake - either dome-shaped or with small peaks or straight.
Continue baking the cake at 374°F/190°C degrees for another 15 minutes or so until browned. Be careful not to let the meringue get too dark.
Top Tip
The only question that remains is: do you need to peel rhubarb for pies or not?
The answer, as is often the case, depends. For very thick, older stalks, peeling the rhubarb is a good idea. Otherwise you will have annoying fibers in the cake. Young rhubarb, in my experience, does not need to be peeled.
But of course, for the rhubarb meringue pie, you need to remove the leaves and the dry cut. Just like for the crumble or the rhubarb crumble cake too.
Recipe Card
Rhubarb Cake with Meringue Topping
Equipment
- 1 springform pan (10 inches/26 cm)
Ingredients
For the batter
- 140 grams (⅔ cups) butter , soft
- 110 grams (⅔ cups) sugar
- 3 egg yolks, medium-sized
- 1 egg, medium-sized
- 150 grams (1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 100 grams (1 cups) ground almonds, mixed with blanched almonds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 30 grams (⅕ cups) almonds, chopped
For topping
- 500 grams (4 cups) rhubarb
For the meringue
- 3 egg whites, medium-sized
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 grams (½ cups) sugar
Instructions
- First, clean the rhubarb and cut it into small pieces. Peeling is only necessary if the rhubarb is a bit older. Grease a springform pan (10 inches/26 cm) and dust with flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Beat the soft butter with the sugar until fluffy. Separate 3 eggs. Set aside the egg whites for the meringue topping. Add egg yolks and 1 whole egg, one at a time, beating mixture well each time. Mix flour with almonds, lemon zest and baking powder. Stir in alternately with the milk. The dough should fall from the spoon with difficulty tearing. Finally, fold in the chopped almonds.
- Pour the batter into the pan, smooth it out and top with rhubarb pieces. Press them in lightly. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes.
- After about 30 minutes of baking, prepare the meringue. Beat egg whites with salt until half stiff. Then slowly add the sugar and beat until completely stiff. Spread meringue on the pre-baked cake - either dome-shaped or with small peaks or straight. Continue baking cake at 374°F/190°C degrees for another 15 minutes or so until browned. Be careful not to let the meringue get too dark.
Ingredient substitutions
Similar Recipes
The rhubarb cake is a perfect treat for spring! If you are looking for more ideas to make the season sweeter, you should have a look at my moist gluten-free carrot cake or try this super easy wacky chocolate cake.
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