About our Gluten-Free Meringue Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce:
This decadent dessert never fails to impress and is very easy to make. I even use tinned pears for convenience but you can, of course, poach fresh ones. I sometimes also use tinned peaches, for added colour. 'Essential Gluten Free by Phil Vickery', published by Kyle Books. Photography by Kate Whitaker.
Preheat oven to 120ºc/gas mark ½. Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper.
Step 2:
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a bowl and mix until light and foamy. Add half the sugar and whisk well on a medium speed, until thick and glossy but not over beaten. If you over-whisk, the meringue will be dull and firm. Add the rest of the sugar and just bring together for about 2 minutes.
Step 3:
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the cornflour, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and the vinegar. Mix it together well. Spread the mixture into a swiss roll tin, and place into the pre-heated oven and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Step 4:
Remove from the oven and cool, slightly. Cut into 3 even pieces and cool completely.
Step 5:
Heat a non-stick pan and gently toast the pecans. When nicely browned, tip into a bowl, add the honey and mix well
Step 6:
Whip together the cream and remaining vanilla until glossy and soft. Quickly spread half the whipped cream over one of the meringue pieces. Lay the sliced pears on top. Sprinkle over one third of the honeyed pecans and drizzle with a little of the caramel sauce. Place a second meringue on top and repeat, finishing with the last meringue layer. Gently but firmly press down on the cake using a cooling rack to ensure the layers are even.
Step 7:
Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining piped cream, slices of pear and the remaining pecans. Dust well with icing sugar. Just before serving, drizzle over a little more caramel sauce and dust well with icing sugar. Slice and serve with extra sauce.
Step 8:
To make the caramel sauce, place the sugar into a saucepan and just cover with water. Boil until all the water has evaporated - leaving a light caramel. Carefully add the cream and butter and stir well until it is all incorporated. Chill well and serve.
