Tart and flavorful rhubarb meringue cake with orange zest, cinnamon, ground ginger, piled high with a light and fluffy meringue.
Rhubarb Meringue Pie
I want to say that my father is incorruptible.
And I think essentially he is, with perhaps the only exception when rhubarb is involved.
Especially a rhubarb pie. In this case, you don’t even have to proactively bribe him. Just mention the idea of baking a rhubarb pie, and don’t be surprised if he washes your car, takes out your trash, or even clears out your garage attic. (Thanks father!)
Let’s just say my dad had a busy week as I made this rhubarb meringue pie three times to get the recipe just right.
Pie fillings work so well with meringue (think lemon meringue pie), why not rhubarb?
I love the tart bite of rhubarb, so there isn’t as much sugar in this pie filling as you might expect.
Taste the filling as you prepare it. Keep in mind that the meringue has a good half cup of sugar in it and will sweeten the cake as well. Add more sugar (or rhubarb if you like it more tart) to taste.
Meringue Tips for Rhubarb Meringue Pie
Egg white needs all the help it can get to keep its structure. Here are a few tips to ensure you have the best meringue:
- cornstarch: Add a heated mixture of gelatinized cornstarch and water to the whipped egg whites. This keeps the meringue from shrinking and creates a delicate meringue that’s easy to cut. (Tip from Shirley Corriher in Cookwise.)
- Sugar and cream of tartar: Add some sugar and some acid (tartar or vinegar) to help the egg whites keep their structure in the meringue.
- Meringue on the edges: Spread the meringue around the edges of the cake before piling it in the center. This will help the meringue stick to the edges.
- Add meringue while filling is hot: Once you’ve poured the hot rhubarb filling into the pie crust, start pouring the meringue mixture on top. The warmth of the filling will help the meringue set.
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Watch and learn how to blind bake a pie crust
Rhubarb Meringue Pie
The first step I take in making this pie (assuming a pie crust has been made and frozen) is to take the eggs out of the fridge and separate them. They are easier to separate when cold.
Then I cover the egg white and let it sit at room temperature while I bake the crust and get the other ingredients ready. Room temperature egg whites are easier to whip into a meringue.
ingredients
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1 frozen pie crust (See pie crust recipe for DIY instructions)
Filling:
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3 1/2 to 4 cups chopped rhubarb stems (approx 1 lb)
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3/4 Cup white granulated sugar
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1 tablespoon Orange peel
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1/4 teaspoon Cinammon
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1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
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3 tablespoon immediate tapioca or 2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch (can substitute 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
Meringue:
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1 tablespoon cornstarch
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1/3 Cup cold water
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1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (Vinegar can also be used instead of cream of tartar, see method instructions)
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1/2 Cup white granulated sugar
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4 big protein (room temperature)
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
method
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Pre-bake cake base:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the frozen pie crust with aluminum foil. Fill two-thirds of the way with pie weights (dry beans work well for this).
Bake 20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven. Lift the edges of the aluminum foil to remove the foil and pie weights from the crust. With the tines of a fork, prick the bottom of the crust all over.
Place the pie crust back into the oven and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until nice and lightly browned all over. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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Preparation of the filling:
In a medium saucepan, gently mix together the chopped rhubarb, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Leave for 15 minutes to allow the sugar to macerate the rhubarb and release liquid.
Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir in instant tapioca or tapioca starch. (By the way, if you’re using instant tapioca and don’t want to see anything that might resemble tapioca, just run it through a blender to pulverize it into tapioca flour.)
Slowly heat the rhubarb until steaming. If you heat the rhubarb too quickly, the pieces will crumble into a mush. The mush still fits in the cake and tastes good, but looks like pink oatmeal. You want to gently cook the rhubarb until it’s a little soft but isn’t falling apart yet.
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Preheat oven to 325°F
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Start by preparing the meringue topping:
While the rhubarb is cooking, start the meringue. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cream of tartar and set aside.
(Note that the cream of tartar isn’t strictly necessary, but as a dry acid, it helps the meringue maintain its structure. Alternatively, if you don’t have cream of tartar, you can help the meringue by adding a teaspoon of white vinegar to the egg whites, if you start hitting it.)
In a small saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Heat on the stove and stir with a whisk until the mixture bubbles and forms a gel. Remove from stove.
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Beat egg whites, add sugar and cream of tartar mixture, add cornstarch mixture:
Make sure the egg white you use has absolutely no yolk or shell fragments. Make sure your mixing bowl for beating the egg whites is spotlessly clean.
Any remaining fat in the bowl from another baking project will make it difficult to whip the egg whites into a meringue.
Place the egg whites and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Start at a low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium.
Once the egg whites are fluffy, slowly add the sugar and cream of tartar mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms soft peaks.
Then add the cornstarch mixture one spoon at a time. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture forms stiff peaks. Be careful not to roll over.
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Fill the cake base with rhubarb filling:
The filling needs to be piping hot when the meringue is spread over it. So if it’s been allowed to cool, reheat it until it steams.
Pour the rhubarb mixture into the pre-baked pie dish and spread evenly over the bottom of the dish.
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Spread the meringue mixture over the rhubarb filling:
Using a rubber spatula, immediately spread the meringue mixture evenly around the edges and then the center of the cake so it doesn’t sink into the filling.
Make sure the meringue sticks to the pie crust to prevent shrinkage. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks on the meringue.
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Bake:
Bake the cake at 325°F until the meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. The cake can be refrigerated, but is best served the same day.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 356 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 60g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
