Cipriani Cake (Vanilla Meringue Cake)

Quick Summary: Cipriani cake is a vanilla meringue layer cake made of Italian sponge, vanilla pastry cream folded with whipped cream, and a French meringue topping browned with a torch. This copycat of the famous Cipriani dessert takes about 1 hour of active work plus chilling, serves 8 to 10, and comes together with everyday ingredients.

What is Cipriani cake?

The cake takes its name from Cipriani, the Venetian family behind the world-famous Harry's Bar. Their vanilla meringue cake became a signature dessert, and this recipe is a home baker's take on that classic.

What sets it apart is the contrast of textures: an airy sponge, a cloud of vanilla cream, and a torched meringue shell that shatters as you cut into it.

This vanilla sponge meringue cake is light and delicious. It is a must-make for anyone who wants to serve something special to family and friends.

Why you'll love this recipe

• This vanilla meringue cake is made with simple ingredients available at grocery stores. It is made with the readers' favorite sponge cake and a meringue topping.

• The Cipriani meringue cake is always a crowd-pleasing treat. It is light and sweet, perfect for any occasion, whether to enjoy on Christmas morning or after dinner during Thanksgiving Eve festivities.

• The cake has a make-ahead option: a sponge cake can be prepared in advance and assembled on the day of serving.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Italian sponge cake: Follow the Pan di Spagna recipe to make an 8-inch (20 cm) cake.

• Milk: The recipe calls for whole milk. Replace it with low-fat milk if desired.

• Vanilla bean: Scraped seeds from a real vanilla bean make a difference in the cake's flavor. You can substitute it with one teaspoon of vanilla extract if desired. It is not the same as using a real vanilla bean, but it works.

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. For easier separation, separate the whites from the yolks while the eggs are still chilled, then let the separated eggs come to room temperature. If you are making the French meringue frosting, use only pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg whites. Raw or lightly cooked egg whites can carry a risk of Salmonella, so pasteurized eggs are the safer choice for a meringue that will not be fully cooked. Alternatively, you can make Italian meringue by pouring hot sugar syrup into the whipped egg whites.

• Sugar: Use granulated or caster sugar to make the cake.

• Corn starch is used as a thickener to make the pastry cream.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the sponge cake and pastry cream.

• Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter, still chilled in the fridge, and cut into cubes.

• Heavy cream: Use at least 30% fat content of heavy or heavy whipping cream. You can replace it with double cream with 48% fat content.

• Lemon juice: You will need freshly-squeezed lemon juice to make the meringue.

Equipment

Here are the key tools you'll need to make this vanilla meringue cake:

• stand mixer or an electric mixer to whip the meringue and cream to stiff peaks.
• hand whisk for tempering the eggs when making the pastry cream.
• saucepan to heat the milk and cook the pastry cream.
• cake leveler to slice the sponge into even layers.
• egg separator to cleanly separate the whites from the yolks.
• dough scraper to smooth the cream and meringue over the cake.
• wire rack to cool the sponge completely before assembling.
• blow torch to brown the meringue and create the signature peaks.

How to make vanilla meringue cake

Step 1. Follow the sponge cake recipe to make an 8-inch (20 cm) sponge cake.

Step 2. Remove it from the baking pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Then, using a cake leveler or a large serrated knife, cut the cake into three layers crosswise.

Step 3. To make the vanilla cream, first prepare the pastry cream (crème pâtissière in French).

• Pro tip: Consult the Italian pastry cream recipe for step-by-step, photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 4. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Then, with the tip of the blade, scrape out the seeds.

Step 5. Bring milk and vanilla seeds to a boil in a small saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, all-purpose flour, and cornstarch with a hand whisk.

Step 6. Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Bring the milk mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes (constantly whisking) until the cream thickens.

Step 7. Add cold butter, cut into cubes, and mix. Transfer the pastry cream to a shallow dish, cover it with plastic film in contact, and let it cool at room temperature (no need to chill it!).

Step 8. Pour whipped cream into the chilled bowl of a stand mixer or, using a hand mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form.

• Pro tip: Consult the sugar-free whipped cream recipe for step-by-step, photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 9. Slowly add the pastry cream to the whipped cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until firm (photo 1).

Step 10. To assemble the cake, place the first sponge layer on a serving plate and top with half of the vanilla cream (photo 2).

Step 11. Then add the second cake layer (photo 3), spread the remaining cream, and gently press down. Finally, finish the cake with the third sponge layer.

Step 12. To make the meringue, place room-temperature egg whites, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in the clean mixer bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Or place ingredients in a large bowl and use an electric mixer.

Step 13. Whisk the meringue at medium-high speed (mixer speed) until the sugar dissolves and stiff, glossy peaks form (photo 4).

Step 14. Cover the entire cake (top and sides) with meringue using a dough scraper, an offset spatula, or the back of a spoon. Pick up the meringue on top of the cake to create little peaks (photo 5).

Step 15. Torch the top and edges of the cake with a blow torch (photo 6). Serve right away.

Pro tip: If making it ahead, chill the cake. Cover it with the meringue and torch it just before serving.

Expert Tips

1. Use ONLY pasteurized eggs to make the French meringue frosting. If you desire, you can make Italian meringue made with heated sugar syrup, which is considered safe to eat.
2. The meringue icing should be spread over the cake no longer than one hour before serving.
3. If you don't have a kitchen torch, brown the meringue in the oven. Place the oven shelf in the upper position, one below the top, and preheat the broiler. Bring the cake to the oven, broil the meringue until browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Attention: watch out closely to avoid burning!
4. Don't discard the empty vanilla pod: place it in a container with white sugar to flavor it.
5. Make-ahead option: Make the sponge cake 1 day in advance, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The next day, slice the sponge into layers and finish the cake.

Recipe variations

This vanilla meringue cake is already so good. But what if you want to make it more flavorful?

• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest to the sponge cake batter. It makes it taste just delicious.

• Increase the amount of meringue by 0.3-0.5 to make the meringue decoration richer and thicker. Well, can you ever have too much meringue icing?!

• Make the Cipriani signature meringue peaks (watch the video) or form swirly-looking waves in the meringue with the back of a spoon.

• Finally, transform this cake into a lemon meringue cake. To do so, slice the sponge into two layers. Omit the vanilla cream. Spread the lemon curd over the first cake layer, then top with the second layer. Then cover the cake with the meringue and brown it with a kitchen torch.

Storing & freezing

Store the vanilla meringue cake without the meringue layer in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Make the meringue, and decorate the cake with the meringue icing when ready to serve.

But you can keep a baked and cooled sponge cake well wrapped in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze it for up to one month. 

Can you freeze Cipriani meringue cake? It isn't recommended to freeze the cake. The meringue would lose its shape and texture when thawed.

Recipe FAQ

What is Cipriani cake?
Cipriani cake is a vanilla meringue layer cake inspired by the signature dessert from Harry's Bar in Venice. It combines Italian sponge, vanilla cream, and a torched French meringue topping.

Is it safe to eat a cake with a meringue topping?
If the cake is topped with French meringue (uncooked), there is a risk of salmonella, so it is best to use only pasteurized eggs. It is considered safe when topped with Italian or Swiss meringue, which is made with heated sugar syrup.

Can you top this cake with Italian meringue?
Yes. Italian meringue is cooked, safe to eat, and more stable than French meringue, so it holds its shape well.

What if you don't have a kitchen torch?
Place the meringue-topped cake under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes instead. Watch it closely, as the meringue can brown and burn quickly.

Can you make Cipriani cake ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the sponge in advance, then assemble and add the meringue on the day of serving for the best texture.

How do you store vanilla meringue cake?
Store the cake without the meringue layer in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Add the meringue no more than one hour before serving.

How many calories are in a slice of Cipriani cake?
One slice has about 427 calories, based on the recipe divided into the listed number of servings.

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.