Šampita (Meringue Cake) is a traditional Bosnian recipe for a cake of a sponge base topped with meringue that's finished with grated chocolate. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Bosnian version of: Meringue Cake (Šampita).
For the Sugar Syrup:
475g white granulated sugar
3 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Garnish:
65g chocolate bar for grating on top
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C, then line a 22×33cm baking tin with parchment paper. If you’d like a thinner cake layer use a larger baking tin.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks and powdered sugar, then add in the remaining cake ingredients. Once the batter is combined and contains no lumps, transfer it to the baking tin.
Level the top with a spatula then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre emerges cleanly. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the Meringue: Combine the sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and turned into a clear liquid.
Whilst the sugar syrup is cooking, add the egg whites to a clean and dry bowl. Begin whipping over medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
When the sugar syrup is ready, increase the speed of your mixer to high and begin slowly pouring in the sugar syrup into the egg whites in a slow but steady stream. Continue pouring and beating with an electric whisk until all the sugar syrup is incorporated into the egg whites.
Continue whisking the egg whites until all the syrup is combined and the meringue is glossy and thick. There should be no streaks of sugar syrup visible when you scrape the bottom of the bowl (a great test method).
Once the meringue is ready, lay the sponge cake on your serving dish and spoon the meringue on top. Form the sides neatly and ensure an the top is even.
Using a grater, shave some chocolate over the top of the meringue, then transfer to your refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving, or until the šampita is completely chilled.
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