Irresistible Mini Meringue Cake (Copycat “Le Merveilleux”)
Delicate. Fluffy. Marvelous! I have been a fan of Aux Merveilleux de Fred’s irresistible mini meringue cake called “Le Merveilleux” (or The Marvelous) since my first visit to Paris, France in 2014. Their marvelous mini meringue cakes have lightly sweetened whipped cream sandwiched between two layers of crisp meringue, coated with additional whipped cream and crushed meringue or chocolate shavings. They are truly little clouds of happiness. When Aux Merveilleux de Fred opened up a new patisserie in my Toronto neighbourhood, I was filled with so much joy! After several visits for “research” ;), I knew I had to try my hand at making these delicious desserts. In this post, I’ll walk you through making a classic vanilla version.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal ingredients, maximum elegance – Just a few pantry staples create the most irresistible and sophisticated dessert.
- Beginner-friendly – If meringue has intimidated you before, I’ve got you covered! Check out my simple meringue kisses recipe for tips and tricks to help you easily master meringues!
- Mindful Baking – Whip, swirl, stack, and repeat! Baking can be so therapeutic.
- Customizable – While we’ll make a vanilla version here, you can easily adapt this recipe to make coffee, caramel, and Speculoos flavours!
To make this recipe you will need:
For the Meringue:
- Egg whites – 4 large egg whites, room temperature *for best whipping
- Granulated sugar – 1 cup (200g)
- Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon *enhances the flavour!
- Cream of tartar – 1/4 teaspoon *acts to stabilize the egg whites
- Pinch of salt
For the Whipped Cream:
- Heavy cream – 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream, chilled
- Powdered sugar – 2 tablespoons *use store bought this is made with a bit of cornstarch which helps stabilize the whipped cream
- Vanilla extract – 1/2 to 1 tsp teaspoon
- **other flavour combinations can include: Coffee flavour – 1/2 to 1tsp teaspoon of instant espresso powder, Caramel flavour – 1 teaspoon of caramel or dulce de leche, Speculoos “Biscoff” – 1 teaspoon cookie butter
For Assembly & Decoration:
- Additional whipped cream for coating
- Crushed meringue or chocolate shavings (white, milk, or dark chocolate)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these Mini Meringue Cakes ahead of time?
Yes! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, for best results, or up to 5 days.
How do I know my meringue is ready for baking?
It should be glossy with stiff peaks that stand upright (note: you can test for this by dipping a spoon into your mixture and turning it upside down – if it holds it is done). It is also important that the mixture not be grainy – rub a little bit between your fingers—if it feels gritty, keep whipping.
Can I freeze these Mini Meringue Cake?
My Mini Meringue Cake freeze wonderfully in an airtight freezer bag. Simply thaw at room temperature, stack with whipped cream, and finish coating them. I have not tried freezing the assembled mini cakes.
Can I make a large version instead of minis?
Absolutely! You can create one large cake by dividing the meringue batter into 2 similarly sized meringue disks. Just increase the baking time by ~30min to 1h and handle with care during assembly.
What if I don’t have cream of tartar?
A pinch of salt or a few drops of lemon juice can help stabilize the egg whites as a substitute.
Step-by-Step Instructions to make my Mini Meringue Cake!
Preheat the oven to 200F (1750F convection oven).
Meringue
In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites (carefully separated from yolks to ensure no oily residue).
Add the cream or tartar and salt to the bowl. Begin mixing on low. Once frothy, gradually increase the speed to high and begin slowly adding in the sugar (1 tablespoon at a time)
After all of the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla.
Continue whipping on high speed until stiff peaks form. Occasionally check the mixture by rubbing some between your fingers to ensure no grainy sugar (undisolved) remains. If it remains, continue mixing!
Transfer to a piping bag fit with the piping tip of your choice or simply cut the tip off to create a round opening.
Add small dollops of meringue to the corners of your baking sheet (note: this prevents the parchment paper from sliding).
Pipe small 2″ meringue mounds – half that are rounds, and half as flatter disks – allowing at least an inch of space between each meringue (note: when I was making this recipe for the first time, I used meringues that were all the same size and it still worked well!)
Bake the meringues on the centre rack of the oven, at 200F for approx. 1 1/2 hours.
Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for an extra 1-2 hours to allow for continued drying. Once done, begin preparing your sweetened whipped cream.
Sweetened whipped Cream
In a large bowl, whip chilled heavy cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form (note: this can be done in a hand mixer or by hand with a whisk). Set aside.
Assembly
Separate your meringue disks (bottom layers) from your mounds (top layers).
On top of your meringue disk, pipe 1-2 tsp of whipped cream, and then top with a meringue mound to form a stack.
Continue to cover the entire stack with a thin layer of whipped cream. Place covered meringue stack onto a plate/tray. Continue with the rest of the meringues.
Once done, place all the meringue stacks in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (note: this makes coating easier).
While your meringues are cooling, use a vegetable peeler or a grater to shred your chocolate (note: if you have leftover meringue, you can also crush meringue cookies into fine pieces as a topping). Place your topping on a flat tray.
Remove your meringue cookies from the freezer and immediately roll into shredded chocolate or meringue cookie crumbs.
Continue until all meringue stacks are covered to make Mini Meringue Cakes.
Your elegant treats are best enjoyed after they rest in the fridge overnight and are served the following day.
Enjoy!
Also check out:
Toffee Meringue Cookies
Colourful Meringue Cookies
Lemon Curd Eton Mess
Mini Meringue Cake (Copycat “Le Marveilleux”)
Equipment
- piping tip (any)
- parchment paper/silicone baking sheets
- piping bag
- electric mixer (preferably stand mixer)
Ingredients
Meringue
- 4 Eggs, large room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar Granulated or Caster
- 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar or a pinch
- 1/4 tsp Salt or a pinch
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract extract
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- 2 1/2 cups Whipped Cream
- 3 tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Assembly
- 3 cups Shaved Chocolate (white, milk, or dark), crushed meringues, or your favourite Speculoos cookie crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200F (1750F convection oven).
Meringue
- In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites (carefully separated from yolks to ensure no oily residue).
- Add the cream or tartar and salt to the bowl. Begin mixing on low. Once frothy, gradually increase the speed to high and begin slowly adding in the sugar (1 tablespoon at a time)
- After all of the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla.
- Continue whipping on high speed until stiff peaks form. Occasionally check the mixture by rubbing some between your fingers to ensure no grainy sugar (undisolved) remains. If it remains, continue mixing!
- Transfer to a piping bag fit with the piping tip of your choice or simply cut the tip off to create a round opening.
- Add small dollops of meringue to the corners of your baking sheet (note: this prevents the parchment paper from sliding).
- Pipe small 2" meringue mounds – half that are rounds, and half as flatter disks – allowing at least an inch of space between each meringue (note: when I was making this recipe for the first time, I used meringues that were all the same size and it still worked well!).
- Bake the meringues on the centre rack of the oven, at 200F for approx. 1 1/2 hours.
- Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for an extra 1-2 hours to allow for continued drying. Once done, begin preparing your sweetened whipped cream.
Sweetened whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, whip chilled heavy cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form (note: this can be done in a hand mixer or by hand with a whisk). Set aside.
Assembly
- Separate your meringue disks (bottom layers) from your mounds (top layers).
- On top of your meringue disk, pipe 1-2 tsp of whipped cream, and then top with a meringue mound to form a stack.
- Continue to cover the entire stack with a thin layer of whipped cream. Place covered meringue stack onto a plate/tray. Continue with the rest of the meringues.
- Once done, place all the meringue stacks in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (note: this makes coating easier).
- While your meringues are cooling, use a vegetable peeler or a grater to shred your chocolate (note: if you have leftover meringue, you can also crush meringue cookies into fine pieces as a topping). Place your topping on a flat tray.
- Remove your meringue cookies from the freezer and immediately roll into shredded chocolate or meringue cookie crumbs.
- Continue until all meringue stacks are covered to make Mini Meringue Cakes.
- Your elegant treats are best enjoyed after they rest in the fridge overnight and are served the following day.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Separating your egg whites one at a time, prevents contamination of oily yolks to the entire egg white mixture if anything bad happens.
- If the sugar in the meringue hasn’t dissolved, keep beating until it does.
- These meringues can be made in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer instead of a stand mixer – just allow for more time for the egg whites to whip up to the right volume.
- Whipped cream is easiest to manage when the bowl and cream are cold.
- You can use an offset spatula to create a smooth whipped cream coating!