Lorraine Pascale's Victoria meringue sponge with mango and lime recipe

This delicious Victoria meringue sponge, made with mango and lime and a vanilla cream filling, is by celeb chef Lorraine Pascale. It combines two classics into one - a Victoria sponge and a mouth-watering meringue finish. The mango really adds a depth of flavour to this cake giving it a sweet kick of flavour. This cake is sure to impress your friends and family and is the perfect treat for a special occasion. It's much easier to make then it may look thanks to Lorraine's step-by-step instructions through each part.

Ingredients

For the meringue:

• 175g caster sugar
• 50g soft light brown sugar
• 5 egg whites

For the ‘cream’ filling:

• 100ml 2% fat Greek yogurt
• 100ml low-fat cream cheese
• Seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the fruit filling:

• 250g prepared mango chunks (or 2 medium mangoes), cut into 2cm square pieces
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/Fan 120°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1. Grease two 20cm round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins with a little spray oil, line the bases with a disc of baking parchment and set aside on a baking sheet.
2. You will need to use an electric whisk to make the meringue or, even better, a food processor. Whisk the sugars and two of the egg whites together in the machine until the mixture is really stiff and shiny. Add the remaining egg whites, one at a time, whisking between each addition until the mixture is well whisked up before adding the next. This may take some time, but keep going until the mixture is white and stiff. The beauty of making the meringue this way is that you can leave the eggs to whisk up and you will not over-whisk them, you will just come back to the stiffest, shiniest egg whites ever! (Well, a little bit brown due to the sugar…)
3. Once the eggs are whisked up, divide the mixture evenly between the sandwich tins and bake for 1 hour or until the meringues are crisp on top and cooked through. Once cooked, remove them from the oven and leave to cool in the tins.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the ‘cream’ filling. Mix the Greek yogurt, cream cheese and vanilla seeds or extract in a medium bowl until well blended. If there are lumps, then give the mixture a really quick beat with the spoon and they will go. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Once the meringues have cooled, run a sharp knife around the inside of the tins and the edge of each meringue. They may crack a little and a few bits may fall off, but that is the nature of meringue. Put a plate upside down on top of one of the meringues and then, holding both the sandwich tin and the plate, flip the whole thing over. Remove the tin, peel the baking parchment off and then carefully flip the meringue over, top side up. Repeat with the remaining meringue and then place the less good-looking one on a serving plate.
6. Spoon two-thirds of the cream filling over in blobs and then spread it out gently with a palette knife. Scatter the mango on top, making sure there are some pieces close to the edge of the meringue so that when the top goes on the golden cubes of mango are visible. Scatter the lime zest and ginger (if using) on top and then drizzle the lime juice over. The citrus will cut through any sweetness and the ginger will add a subtle bit of heat. Dollop the remaining cream filling on top of the fruit and then carefully set the remaining (nicer-looking) meringue on top to finish.
7. I find this does not need to be served with anything other than a very sweet tooth.