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Meringue collapsed - why?

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  • 16-09-2014 9:04am
    #1
    mel.b
    Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭


    Last night i made a choc bownie and meringue cake from the current Tesco magazine. The meringue was looking great in the oven and literally within minutes of taking it out of the oven it collapsed. Can anyone tell me why? Normally when i make pavlova i leave it in the oven with the oven turned off, but the recipe didn't say to do that and i was worried about burning the cake part if i did. Is that why it collapsed or is there another reason?


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    #2
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Tricky to say without seeing the recipe?

    Qtys/ratios could be out. Oven temp could be out. Like you said, maybe you needed to leave it in there to harden.


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    #3
    Julia_Julia
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Julia_Julia


    was it empty in the middle? this what happens to me sometimes... would like to know why


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    #4
    mel.b
    Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭mel.b


    pwurple wrote: »
    Tricky to say without seeing the recipe?

    Qtys/ratios could be out. Oven temp could be out. Like you said, maybe you needed to leave it in there to harden.

    the recipe for the meringue was:
    2 egg whites
    100g caster sugar.

    Once the mixture was thick, fold in 1tbs chopped hazelnut. Bake for 40min, leave to cool (doesn't specify in oven, out of oven etc)
    Julia_Julia wrote: »
    was it empty in the middle? this what happens to me sometimes... would like to know why

    It was! Completely empty. Still was delicious though :)


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    #5
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    I googled the recipe just to see how it's made - it's HERE - and the only thing I can think of is that if you didn't spoon on the meringue mix very carefully you may have incorporated some of the brownie mix from underneath into it. That would ruin the meringue.


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    #6
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    I've never tried a meringue at 160 as recommended in that recipe. For a hard crispy meringue I do the temp much lower, like 100 or less, and leave it in a cooling oven.

    For baked alaska type soft meringue I'd put it in at 220 for a few mins and take it out straight away.

    Funny one.


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    #7
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Perhaps over or under beating? Too much of either might affect it too.


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    #8
    mel.b
    Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭mel.b


    It could be overbeating - I did do it until it was really stiff.


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    #9
    Bruscar
    Registered Users Posts: 117 ✭✭Bruscar


    I looked at the recipe - seems strange to me to put the meringue onto cold brownie mix.

    I make a similar cake from BBC site but it says you bake the brownie base for a short while before adding the meringue and returning to the oven. I'd have thought the brownie crust developed in the first part of the bake protects the meringue from the extra moisture as well as help bake the underneath of the meringue (like with a lemon meringue).


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