Maple Pavlova

Cake

• 1 1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust flavour)
• 10 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 Pinch of cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple Frosting

• 2 cups cream (35% M.F.)
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• A few drops of vanilla extract

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 230 °C (450 °F).
2. Line a 23-cm (9-in) springform pan with parchment paper, leaving 5 cm (2 in) of overhang. Do not butter the pan or the cake will not rise. Set aside.
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the maple syrup to a boil without stirring until a candy thermometer registers 115 °C (240 °F). Put a wooden spoon in the saucepan to prevent the caramel from bubbling up and overflowing.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Pour in the hot maple syrup in a thin stream, continuing to whip briskly.
5. Dilute the cornstarch in the vinegar, add the vanilla and fold into the maple-egg white mixture. Whip for 1 minute. Turn off the oven.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the now-off oven overnight, without opening the oven door. (Opening the door will make the cake fall). Unmould.

Maple Frosting

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together all the ingredients until stiff peaks form.
2. Ice the cake with the maple frosting and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.