"Wet meringue" is a great cake decorating idea

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In the art of cooking, it is important not only to cook delicious food, but also to serve it beautifully. The French say that people eat with their eyes. And if the food is appetizing, purely psychologically it seems tastier than it really is. And if the dish looks sloppy, then the eater will turn his attention to it last, even if it is the most delicious dish on the table. Appearance is especially important for sweets: they are a solemn component of a festive feast and must correspond to the moment. Wet meringue will help to make the cake beautiful. This cream blends perfectly with any dough and layers between cakes, is pliable when working, does not spread, holding the given shape - just the perfect design material.

"Wet meringue" for cake decoration: recipe

Cream is made by housewives in several variations. But the base is always the same, except that the ratio of components is modified, and not so significant ingredients are added. The technology by which "wet meringue" is prepared is similar in basic steps to the method of creating a protein cream.

To begin with, whites are separated from four eggs and cooled as much as possible. They whip up easyfoam. It is not necessary to achieve its stability - if only the mass would become homogeneous. Pour into the proteins: a glass of granulated sugar, a bag of vanilla and a little citric acid (about a quarter of a large spoon). The workpiece is stirred, and the bowl with it is placed in a water bath. When the bottom part just starts to boil, actively beat the future meringue. The process should not stop even for a second and last about a quarter of an hour. Then the cream is removed from the stove and whipped for another five minutes. The output should be a dense substance that does not settle and is easily held on a fork or whisk.

Subtleties and secrets

To those who have not yet prepared the “wet meringue” cream, the recipe may seem elementary. However, the result can be very upsetting if you do not know some tricks.

1. Proteins should be cold, almost on the verge of freezing. Experienced chefs advise putting them in the refrigerator the evening before cooking.
2. Dishes for proteins should be clean and completely dry. The smallest drop of extraneous liquid will not allow you to beat them to the desired consistency. The same applies to yolk particles that have fallen into proteins. It is better to divide each egg over a personal cup, so as not to spoil the already obtained mass.
3. How long to keep the cream in the bath depends on the temperature of the water in it. Readiness to remove from heat is determined by the consistency of the cream: if it sticks, becomes thick and comes off in whole chunks, it's time to move on to the final stage.
4. In no case should "wet meringue" be brought toboiling! To prevent it, you need to work the mixer continuously.

If you do not immediately start decorating, the cream should be hidden in the refrigerator after cooling.

How to paint

As "wet meringue" is used to decorate the cake, multicolored versions may be needed. There are also a number of rules here.

1. Neither syrups nor juices are suitable for coloring - they will break the consistency, make the cream too liquid and fluid. Food coloring only!
2. In dry form, dye cannot be poured, it will not dissolve in meringue. If there are no liquid ones, a 5-gram bag of powder is diluted in a teaspoon of vodka and only then added to the cream.
3. The dye is introduced at the very last moment, after removing the pan from the stove, drip, with intermediate whipping.

You can tint "wet meringue" in beige and brown tones with instant coffee. It is diluted in half a spoonful of water and kneaded until completely dissolved. Softer shades are obtained with the introduction of cocoa, brewed in a minimum amount of milk. The main principle in both cases is as little liquid as possible.

Terms of Use

In order for "wet meringue" to fulfill its task with honor, it must be properly cooled before application. Firstly, when hot, it can melt the top layer if it is made from caramel or glaze. Secondly, the chilled "wet meringue" is easier to take and hold your intended shape.

Alldesigner delights are created only with dry auxiliary items, be it a knife or a pastry syringe. Moisture will break the planned density of the cream, and it will begin to spread.

If you want to make the cake more durable, after coating it with cream, you can keep the treat not in the refrigerator, but even dry it in a warm oven. "Wet meringue" will become normal, serve as an additional "shell", although it will be more fragile.

Interesting clarifications

If you are planning to build something monumental on your cake (like a magic castle), the classic "wet meringue" may not be able to withstand its own weight. To make the cream more durable, structural and embossed, you need to change the proportions. It is necessary to take sugar in double weight compared to proteins. Naturally, for this they will have to be weighed. It is pointless to change the dose of sugar further, it will not dissolve in excess.