White Cake with Pink Frosting and Strawberry + Meringue Kisses

White Cake
90 g Egg Whites ( About 3 large eggs)
170 g Whole Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Bean paste or extract
200 g Cake Flour
200 g Superfine sugar
1 tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
115 g Unsalted Butter

1. Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°C . Grease and flour two round 5 x 3.5 inch / 12 x 9 cm cake pans or two round 6 inches cake pans.
2.In a medium bowl, stir the egg whites , milk and the vanilla just until lightly combined.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and one-third of the egg white mixture and beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the remaining egg mixture to the batter in three batches, beating on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Pour an equal portion of the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces evenly.
6. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake.
7. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
(Recipe adapted from Linda Lomelino’s Blog)
150 g Egg whites (about 3 large egg whites. It is important to weight them)
250 g Butter, softened
100 g White sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract

1. Mix egg whites with sugar in a small saucepan and put it over a saucepan with simmering water a few minutes until sugar dissolves or using a thermometer until it gets 65°C exactly. Whisk constantly. Sift the mix through a small sieve if you get any lumps.
2. Using a stand mixer, whisk for about 10 minutes or until Swiss meringue is firm and bowl feels cool.
3. Once meringue is ready start adding soften butter slowly until it is fully incorporated. Whip 10 minutes at medium- hight speed.
4. Add some drops of pink food coloring and whisk to incorporate. I used Dusty Rose of Americolor Gel Food coloring.

White Chocolate Ganache
80 g White Chocolate Best Quality
40 g Cream

1. In a small saucepan mix both ingredients. Bring pan over medium heat until both ingredients dissolves completely. Let cool and use it at 30 ° C / 86 ° F. If you don’t have a thermometer, make sure the ganache is at room temperature before using it; so Chocolate will not melt buttercream and you will get a more interesting thickness.

Mini Meringue Kisses
60 g Egg whites (About 2 egg whites)
120 g white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 80°C/180°C and line 1 baking tray with baking paper.
2. Mix egg whites with sugar in a small saucepan and put it over a saucepan with simmering water a few minutes until sugar dissolves or using a thermometer until it gets 65°C exactly. Whisk constantly. Sift the mix through a small sieve if you get any lumps.
3. Using a stand mixer, whisk for about 10 minutes or until Swiss meringue is firm and bowl feels cool.
4. Place half of meringue into a piping bag fitted with large rounded nozzle. Pipe 1cm kisses of mixture onto prepared tray, allowing 1cm between each one.
5. Add some drops of Pink Food coloring onto remainin Meringue and beat to incorporate. Place meringue into a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozle. Pipe 1cm swirls of mixture onto prepared tray, allowing 1cm between each one.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until meringues are firm with the door of the oven barely opened. Turn off the oven and if you have some time, let meringues cool inside the over all over the night or take them out and let them cool at room temperature.

To Assemble and decorate Cake

1. If cakes are domed on top, even out with a knife (Frozen cakes work better here). You can cut both cakes in half so you get 4 evenly layers.
2. Place the first layer on a cake board and using a pastry bag, pipe pink buttercream around top, starting in the center of the cake. Pour some fresh sliced strawberries and Repeat the process twice.
3. Spread cherry meringue buttercream all over the cake and then remove any excess with the icing smoother and place it in the refrigerator about 15 minutes.
4. Bring the cake from the refrigerator and using the offset spatula cover with buttercream.
5. Begin covercoating cake and smoothing slowly. Be patient. Pay attention to get smooth surfaces and straight edges. Refrigerate once more.
6. Bring the cake from the refrigerator. Make sure white ganache is at room temperature before using it, in this way the Chocolate will not melt frosting and you will get a more interesting thickness. Drip it over the edges of the cake.
7. Use the remaining pink buttercream to pipe on the top of the cake. I used Wilton 1M tip.
8. Put some fresh straberries and meringue kisses on top. Add some sprinkles.
9. Enjoy.