Suspiro (meringue icing for Dominican cake) is the poetic name given to meringue in our country, the perfect icing for our divine national cake.
Why we ❤️ it
Some of our foods have very poetic names that at first impression bear no resemblance to the actual food at hand: Suspiro (Meringue Icing for Dominican Cake) seems to be one of those. Suspiro means "sigh" in Spanish.
Once past the first impression, this fluffy-as-a-cloud icing seems to have found its perfect name. In other Spanish-speaking countries, this is known as merengue (meringue), a confusing state of affairs, as Merengue is the Dominican Republic's national music.
The resulting meringue has firm peaks, but a smooth texture, perfect for covering cakes and making elaborate decorations.
What is Suspiro?
To be more specific, suspiro is nothing else than "Italian Meringue", and bears some resemblance to Royal Icing. It is made with egg whites.
About this recipe
In this recipe, I've incorporated some techniques that I've tested and yielded a meringue that is firm, and relatively easy to make.
Though I'm not sure why this technique was first used, adding boiling caramel to the egg whites has the fortunate side effect of decreasing the chance of salmonella contamination (how to safely handle eggs), a small but worrying possibility whenever we consume raw eggs. If you find pasteurized eggs where you live, I suggest you use those instead.
If you're looking for an easier alternative to suspiro, you can use powdered royal icing (Amazon affiliate link), just follow the instructions in the package.
Depending on the amount of sugar added, the suspiro will remain soft but with firm peaks, or will start to harden after a few hours.
The amount of suspiro this recipe yields is enough to cover a one-pound cake, double the half-pound cake in our recipe, and enough to add rosettes and decoration. Halve the recipe for the cake in our blog.
Recipe
[Recipe + Video] Suspiro (Meringue Icing for Dominican Cake)
Ingredients
- 1½ cup sugar (white, granulated)
- ½ cup egg white, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoon powdered white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, or lime juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, (optional)
Instructions
Making the syrup: Mix granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and ¼ cup of water. Boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. If you have a candy thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) -I do recommend using one- boil until it reaches 112 °C [235 °F]. If you do not have a thermometer, boil until it reaches a syrup consistency (It will be thick but still a light color, see notes)
Whisking egg whites: In the meantime, using the stand mixer wire attachment, whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds at low speed. Increase speed to medium and whisk until they become white and has doubled and formed peaks (about 3 mins).
Adding syrup: Slowly, and in a thin stream, pour the syrup into the bowl while whisking over high speed until it forms very firm peaks (about 5 mins).
Finishing: Add the vanilla extract, and once incorporated, the powdered sugar, whisk until it's combined and the meringue is at room temperature. The meringue should have firm peaks, and some of the meringue has "climbed" into the center of the wire whisk.
Storing: It can last a few hours well covered and refrigerated. If you notice that it starts to form a crust, add a few drops of lime juice, and incorporate with a spatula.
Video
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
