⅓ cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons, plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups each: hulled and sliced strawberries and blueberries, plus a few extra for garnish
1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 175 degrees. Cut three 8-inch parchment circles, crumple them, then smooth them out again and place them in a single layer on a large lip-less baking sheet.
Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, ⅓ cup of the granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they turn from foamy to white and beaters just start to leave a trail. On low speed, add sugar mixture, a heaping tablespoon at a time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat to the consistency of marshmallow cream, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Lightly flick water droplets onto the parchment circles. Spoon a portion of meringue onto each parchment circle. Use an off-set or rubber spatula to spread meringue over each circle.
Set meringues in oven and let dry until completely crisp, 5 to 6 hours. Remove meringues from oven and peel off parchment.
Meanwhile, bring strawberries and 3 tablespoons of sugar to boil in a medium saucepan. When mixture starts to simmer, whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water. Continue to simmer until mixture thickens. Pour into a bowl and let cool completely. Repeat process with blueberries, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water.
When meringues are dry and berries are cool, whip cream to semi-firm peaks.
To assemble, set a meringue circle on a cake stand. Spread with half the cream and drizzle with the strawberries. Repeat with another meringue circle, all but a dollop of cream, and the blueberries. Top with remaining disk, remaining dollop of cream, a fresh strawberry and a couple of fresh blueberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least an hour and up to several hours. Slice and serve.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/recipes/sweet-treats/meringue-cake-with-strawberries-and-blueberries/