Very similar to a pavlova, Schaum Torte is a German meringue dessert that's often served in the Midwest, specifically Wisconsin. It features layers of airy meringue, whipped cream, and berries. Our Test Kitchen used raspberries when developing our Schaum Torte recipe but you could substitute sliced strawberries, black berries, blueberries, or other fresh fruit. Our recipe tasters loved the combination of the crisp meringue, fluffy whipped cream, and juicy berries.

Tips for Making Schaum Torte

When baking the meringue shell for a Schaum Torte, you want it to cook slowly and evenly until it is just barely golden brown. This helps keep the outside texture light and crisp, and the inside creamy and marshmallow-like. Let it cool completely before piling on the whipped cream and berries or else the filling will melt. Don't worry if the meringue falls a bit—that's exactly what should happen!

You don't need a piping back to make this easy dessert recipe, simply spoon the meringue mixture into a tall springform pan. Our Test Kitchen found that using a springform pan was the easiest way to keep the meringue shell from sticking once baked.