Polish Meringue Cake With Berries (Tort Bezowy) Recipe

Meringue cake with strawberry cream and fresh strawberries
StockFood / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This recipe for Polish Meringue Torte with Fruits of the Forest or Tort Bezowy z Owocami Leśnymi (TORRT beh-zoh-vih zih oh-voh-TSAH-mee lesh-NIH-mee) is from chef Bogdan Gałązka's "The Cuisine of the Kings of Poland in Malbork Castle" (Multico, 2010). The book is written in both Polish and English in metric measurements and, at this point, is only available online. I give U.S. measurements plus metric measurements, so be sure to weigh your ingredients for accuracy.
In Poland, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries grow wild along roads as well as being cultivated in home gardens. The fruit varieties are very small and very sweet. If you don't have access to wild berries, domesticated varieties available at supermarkets will work just fine.

Meringue is a common feature in Polish desserts but, in this case, it becomes the cake itself and not just a topping, as is common in the States. The beauty of this dessert is the fact that egg yolks are used in the custard cream that fills this beautiful tort. No more looking for egg-yolk recipes. I would use pasteurized eggs because the yolks aren't cooked in the cream filling.

This makes a beautiful statement on a serving board or dining room table.

Ingredients

For the Meringue:

  • 10 large egg whites

  • 8.8 ounces confectioners' sugar

  • 1/2 ounce potato flour

  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the Cream:

  • 10 large egg yolks

  • 7 ounces confectioners' sugar

  • 1.7 ounces espresso, or very strong coffee

  • 1.7 ounces amaretto

  • 10.58 ounces mascarpone cheese

  • 6.76 ounces sour cream

  • 1 3/4 ounces raspberries

  • 1 3/4 ounces blueberries

  • 1 3/4 ounces strawberries

  • Mint leaves, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large bowl, whip egg whites to a stiff consistency, slowly adding confectioners' sugar, potato flour. and apple cider vinegar.

  3. Using a pencil, draw two 9-inch circles on a sheet of parchment paper. Flip paper over and place on a baking sheet. Fill a piping bag with meringue and pipe it onto paper, using circles as a guide. Smooth in any gaps.

  4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Put meringue circles in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 265 F and bake for another 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

  5. In a large bowl, blend egg yolks with confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add espresso, amaretto, and mascarpone and mix thoroughly.

  6. In a small bowl, whip cream until stiff. Add it to egg mixture and whip until stiff.

  7. Place a layer of baked meringue on a plate, cover with a layer of cream. Top with remaining meringue disk and cream. Decorate with fruit and mint.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

More recipes chef Bogdan has shared from this book with my readers:

Polish Cranberry Gelatin Dessert Recipe

Polish Millet Soup Recipe

Polish Royal Babka with Raisins Recipe

More recipes chef Bogdan's has shared from his book "The Cuisine of the Teutonic Grand Masters in Malbork Castle" (Multico, 2009):

Polish Horseradish Soup Recipe

Polish Onion Soup Recipe

Polish Garlic Soup Recipe

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
780 Calories
38g Fat
87g Carbs
20g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 780
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 20g 99%
Cholesterol 428mg 143%
Sodium 443mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 87g 32%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 81g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 8mg 42%
Calcium 135mg 10%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 378mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)