Summer in a dessert: strawberry and meringue
It’s June, and you’re trying to decide on a delicious dessert to make. It could be for a party, maybe for a gathering of friends, or just a treat for your family to enjoy after dinner. Either way, you want something reasonably simple to put together, refreshing, and delicious. Today’s recipe is one of those desserts that you’ll come back to every summer – it’s truly that showstopping and tasty! This strawberry meringue roulade is simple summer flavors at their best – strawberry and vanilla – with the lovely textures of crisp meringue and smooth whipped cream, along with little bursts of strawberry in every spoonful.
There’s something about meringue and fruit
If you’re a fan of pavlova, meringue, or even marshmallow, this is a must-try recipe! It’s basically a pavlova in roulade form. It’s less crispy than a pavlova, though, because the meringue soaks up some moisture from the strawberry compote and whipped cream. In each spoonful, though, you get a bit of crunch, a nice fluffy meringue, sharp strawberry compote, and smooth whipped cream, making it the perfect bite. There’s just something about combining sweet meringue with the tanginess of fruit, isn’t there?
Strawberries, or what else?
This recipe specifically uses strawberries because in the summer, there’s just not really any better choice when it comes to seasonal fruits. They’re sweet and full of flavor when they’re at their best, so definitely give this recipe a try with strawberries if you can.
But if they aren’t in season currently for you, or you don’t like them, simply replace the strawberries with another fruit! Blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries are a good choice, but you could even cook down some rhubarb, peaches, or apricots and use them in this recipe. Just note that if it’s a watery fruit, you may need to cook it down for a bit longer so that it isn’t too wet to use as a filling. Honestly, use whatever you like in the filling, and decorate with any fresh fruit you have on hand. The beauty of a recipe is that you can just use it as a guideline!
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe
There are three components to this recipe: the compote, the meringue, and the whipped cream. For the compote, you’ll need strawberries (or another fruit), lemon juice, sugar, and salt. To make the meringue, you’ll need egg whites, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Finally, for the whipped cream, all you need is heavy cream (double cream in the UK) and vanilla extract. You can add a bit of powdered sugar to the whipped cream, too, if you like, but we prefer it unsweetened, since the meringue and compote are both sweet. Feel free to also use pre-whipped cream or a dairy-free option if that’s what you prefer.
How to make Strawberry Meringue Roulade
Start by making the strawberry compote. This involves cleaning and trimming the strawberries, slicing them into halves or quarters, and cooking them down with the sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. The compote will get very watery as the strawberries break down, but keep simmering it until it thickens, and you can see the bottom of the pot when you move a spoon/spatula through the compote. Let this cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge to fully cool.
Next, for the meringue component, whip up the egg whites with the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Once it gets foamy and turns white, start adding the sugar a spoonful at a time, while continuing to whip the mixture. This helps you get a non-grainy meringue (although if it’s a little grainy, don’t worry). Whip until the mixture reaches stiff peaks. Spread this on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature and bake for another 10 minutes.
Once the meringue is out of the oven, it will probably look a bit lumpy. Flip it upside down onto another sheet of parchment paper and carefully remove the parchment it was baked on. You may need to do this slowly and wait for it to cool so it no longer sticks to the parchment paper. Let this fully cool.
Assembling your Strawberry Meringue Roulade
You can trim the edges of the meringue if it’s very uneven or the edges are particularly crispy and will crack when you roll it up. If you do this, save the crispy meringue for decoration! Finally, whip up the whipped cream, top the meringue with the strawberry compote and whipped cream, and decorate with extra cream and fresh strawberries and some crushed meringue sprinkled on top.
Other meringue recipes to try this summer
If you’re a meringue fan, here are some more you should try out this summer! And make sure to let us know your favorite recipe that uses meringue in the comments down below.
- Pavlova: This recipe might not be new, but it’s a favorite, and we want to remind you of its existence! In the spring and summer, we love to top our pavlova with berries, but you can use whatever you have. The meringue is essentially the perfect canvas for you to incorporate your favorite flavors and textures!
- Kyskager: If you’re ever left with egg whites and you’d like to branch out beyond just adding them to an omelette or scrambled eggs, make these meringue kisses! They’re unbelievably simple and satisfy a sweet craving any time of the day. You can always top them with sprinkles for a fun and festive look!
- Lemon Meringue Buns: Inspired by Norwegian skoleboller with a lemon meringue pie twist, we were very proud when we developed this recipe: fluffy cardamom buns with a lemon curd in the center and a crunchy meringue kiss on top! They’re tart and sweet, with all the best textures, from soft bun to crispy meringue.
- Bedstefars Skæg: This cake is very special and nostalgic, called “Grandfather’s Beard” due to the fluffy meringue topping. We love introducing it to our non-Danish friends because it blows their mind simply by how delicious it is. Vanilla sponge, raspberry jam, and sweet vanilla meringue – what else do you even need in a cake? Watch the full recipe video here: https://youtu.be/Gn4tyqOl9UE
Marengsroulade med jordbær (Strawberry Meringue Roulade)
Ingredients
MERINGUE
- 4 egg whites, from large eggs
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- Splash of lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
- 315 grams strawberries, washed and cut into smaller pieces.
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
WHIPPED CREAM
- 300 ml heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
DECORATION (OPTIONAL)
- Additional strawberries
- Sprinkles, sugar, other berries, etc!
Instructions
- Make strawberry compote ahead of time by combining strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small pot.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the strawberries start to release their juices.
- Once bubbling, lower the stove temperature to low and stir frequently. The compote should cook for around 10-15 minutes until thickened, but the strawberries should still be a little chunky. Remove from the heat and place in a separate container to let cool, transferring to the fridge to speed up the process.
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Make the meringue by combining egg whites and a splash of lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer!).
- Whisk together until the egg whites begin to look frothy.
- Add sugar slowly one tablespoon at a time, waiting in between additions until the sugar has dissolved. You will probably have to stop the mixer to scrape down any sugar that sticks to the sides. Add in vanilla extract.
- Once all the sugar has been added, keep whisking for at least a few more minutes or until you reach stiff peaks (dip the whisk attachment into the mixture, then pull it straight up and turn it upside down – the meringue should have a point and not flop over!). This could take a little while longer! Keep scraping down the sides and continuing to whisk as needed.
- Line a baking sheet (half sheet size) with parchment paper. Once the meringue is ready, spread it evenly over the parchment paper, all the way across the pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 350F (180C); then lower the oven temperature to 285F (140C) and bake for another 10 minutes. The meringue should be fully cooked through, soft yet the top may be quite bubbly and crackly.
- Remove the meringue from the oven and let cool just a few minutes – then flip out onto another piece of parchment paper (top down) and let cool completely. It's okay if you can't flip it out, then just let it cool on the baking sheet. If any of the edges of the meringue seem too crispy to roll up, trim them off – you can do this when it's still warm or when it's cooled down.
- While it's cooling, make the whipped cream by adding heavy cream and vanilla extract to a stand mixer or mixing bowl. We don't sweeten our whipped cream for this recipe because the meringue is so sweet, but if you want to, add some sugar as well! Using the whisk attachment or a whisk, whip the cream until it reaches stiff peaks. Set aside (in the fridge) until ready to use.
- Once the meringue and the compote are cooled down, spread the compote over the meringue. Then spread about 3/4 of the whipped cream over the top of the compote in an even layer. Make sure the compote and the whipped cream are spread all the way to the edges!
- Start rolling up the meringue from the short end along the long edge for more swirls. Don't worry too much about any cracks, but do be careful about the meringue sticking to the parchment paper! Transfer to a plate or serving dish once you've rolled it up. Try your best to be gentle (and if all else fails, just put it in a bowl and call it a trifle).
- Top the rolled-up meringue with the remaining 1/4 of the whipped cream, and decorate as you like – we add more strawberries and some sprinkles, but feel free to get creative!
- Slice and enjoy – this is best eaten immediately, but you can refrigerate any leftovers and eat within a few days.
