Arvind and I are not much of tradition followers and we often tend to miss the traditions. But, if there is one ritual that we have been following, ever since we met and fell in love, was to bake each other’s birthday cake. Trust me, we are very low key when it comes to such celebrations. We don’t even do mandatory gifts. However, the cake has always been there and we both find a certain amount of joy in baking each other’s birthday cake!
The Pistachio Meringue Cake from the book – Taste & Technique.
This Pistachio Meringue Cake is the first complicated cake I have ever baked. I am calling it complicated only because it’s not one of those one-bowl-cakes that I often go for. It’s complicated because you need to know how to whisk meringue to that perfect glossy stiff texture before it gets added to the dry ingredients. There is no baking powder or baking soda and this meringue gives a beautiful moist texture to the cake. The recipe is from the book and the cake came out just perfect. I would happily enjoy the cake just, as is, with a cup of tea. But, a birthday cake calls for décor and frosting and probably some toppings too.
The Frosting:
The frosting was easy to put together. I wanted some citric flavor, which I feel goes very well with pistachio. So, I whisked mascarpone cheese with lemon curd. Super quick and tastes just divine! I didn’t want to overload the cake with frosting and so, I made just enough to seal the layers and cover the crumbs.
The Toppings:
As there was lemon curd in the frosting, I figured candied lemons would be a good pairing. There was meringue in the cake batter and so, I made some meringue cookies to add on top. I shaped some of the meringue cookies as drops using a piping bag and spread the rest casually to create meringue chards.
For someone who doesn’t bake a fancy cake, I was over the moon happy when everything came together neatly and most importantly, tasted divine. The birthday boy loved it and also our little fella approved. I am pretty sure I will repeat the cake very soon!
