Eat for Less: Finger Licking Cake with Meringue Topping You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes

Do you remember my mum’s old cook book?

Well, I’ve decided that I’ll try one recipe from it every week. And will tell you about it.

You see, I reckon that there isn’t more frugal than people in less wealthy countries (and Bulgaria after WWII fits the bill perfectly). Tasty frugal food you can find predominantly agrarian poorer countries.

Yesterday, I made ‘Cake with Meringue Topping’ from my mum’s cooking book. (Although, I don’t remember my mum ever making this one: she never manages to make meringue, you see.)

This is what you need for this recipe:

• 2 cups of melted butter
• 3 cups of fine sugar (caster sugar or icing sugar)
• 7 eggs
• 4 cups of flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Vanilla

You also need a good hand mixer and a cake tray.

Preparation:

Pour the melted butter in a large(ish) mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of sugar and beat until the mixture is fairly smooth (about 3-4 minutes with the hand held mixer).

Separate the egg yolks and egg white of 4 eggs.

Add the egg yolks to the butter and sugar mixture one by one and beat for several seconds after each yolk.

Sieve the flour (put the baking powder in the flour while sieving it). Add the flour to the butter, sugar and egg yolk mixture (when I did this, the mixture became very dry and I added several drops of water to it; so, add enough water to be able to continue mixing but not too much – you have to add the egg whites yet.)

Beat the egg whites until they have formed a firm meringue mixture (don’t put anything else than the egg whites).

Add the egg white meringue to the cake mixture and continue mixing.

Put the cake mixture on a tray (you’ll have to spread it – it is not runny as the batter for cake normally is).

Bake in a preheated oven (fan oven to 180C) for approximately 30 minutes.

(Check whether the cake is ready using a knife – if there is no dough on the knife when you take it out, the cake is baked.)

While the cake is baking, separate the yolks and whites of three eggs. Beat the whites and a cup of caster sugar into meringue.

When the cake is baked, take it out and spread the meringue on top. Place back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes (or until the meringue topping is rosy brown.

Take the cake out and let it cool before serving.

How much does it cost?

This cake costs approximately £2 to make. It is delicious and contains only the ingredients on the list.

My son loved it (yes, it is growing up but he still has child-like taste about some things).

Also, you may think that this cake is difficult to make but it took only fifteen minutes preparation time – and I’m not really a domestic Goddess.

Eat for less at its best, I think.

Your turn: you can try this and either make it as a weekend threat or impress your friends when you invite them for coffee next.