Florida meringue roulade, Signature

Dan Beasley-Harling’s Florida Meringue Roulade

The handshake card

• Baker: Dan Beasley-Harling
• UK series: Series 9 (2018)
• Week/theme: Week 4, Dessert
• Challenge: Signature
• Handshake fact: Dan received a Hollywood handshake for his Florida meringue roulade.
• Yield: 8–10 servings
• Difficulty: Needs skill
• Official timing: 50 minutes hands-on; 25 minutes baking
• Source: Dan’s Florida Fruit Roll, The Great British Bake Off
• Evidence: Master index entry #23; research sources [S1], [S2], [S7].

Why it earned the handshake

The official recipe calls this a Florida Fruit Roll: a light meringue wrapped around coconut cream, mango, strawberries, and rippled lime curd. It is a roulade that asks for restraint at every turn—stiff glossy whites, a curd that is cooked patiently, and a roll guided by paper rather than force.

Ingredients

Meringue

• 4 large egg whites
• 250g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Lime curd

• Finely grated zest and juice of 3 unwaxed limes
• 4 large egg yolks
• 100g caster sugar
• 50g unsalted butter, diced

Filling

• 170ml double cream
• 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
• 160ml thick coconut cream, thoroughly chilled
• ¼ tsp coconut extract
• 1 ripe mango, destoned and cut into 5cm dice
• 150g strawberries, hulled and sliced; reserve 2–3 whole strawberries for decoration

To decorate

• 1 tbsp coconut flakes
• Zest of 1 unwaxed lime
• Icing sugar, to dust

You will also need a 20 x 30cm oiled and lined Swiss-roll tin and a wire rack lined with baking paper.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Fold in the cornflour, vinegar, and vanilla. Spread into the tin and bake for 25 minutes, until firm to the touch. Cool.
3. For the lime curd, put the zest, juice, yolks, and sugar over gently simmering water. Stir until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, sieve it, stir in the butter, and cool completely.
4. Turn the meringue onto the lined rack, peel away the paper, and bring it to room temperature if necessary.
5. Whip the cream and brown sugar to soft peaks. Add the cold coconut cream and extract and whisk until thick. Ripple in about half of the lime curd, leaving visible streaks.
6. Put the meringue with its short edge nearest you. Spread three quarters of the cream over it, leaving a 1cm border, then scatter over the mango and strawberries, reserving some mango.
7. Score a line 1cm from the short edge. Fold that edge over, then use the baking paper to help roll the meringue. Take your time and remove fruit if the roll is overfilled.
8. Finish with the remaining cream, reserved mango, halved strawberries, coconut flakes, lime zest, and a dusting of icing sugar.

Baker’s tips

• Add the sugar slowly; glossy, stable meringue is the structure of the roulade.
• Cool the lime curd completely before rippling it through the cream.
• The paper does the rolling work. A scored starting edge helps prevent a thick, cracked first turn.

Make-ahead

The lime curd can be made ahead and chilled. Assemble the roulade close to serving so the meringue keeps its contrast of crisp edges and soft centre.