A few teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with the sugar helps by soaking up any liquid left in your meringue, leaving it shiny, beautiful, and puddle-free. Starch is especially helpful in hot, humid weather when a meringue is most likely to absorb extra moisture.
Meringue under the microscope
An egg white is composed of water and various proteins. The proteins resemble long, rolled up string. When you whisk an egg white, the quick movement unravels the protein and incorporates air bubbles at the same time.
Air bubbles are large and sparse when you start to beat an egg white, and the foam is still clear and liquid. The more you whisk, the more air bubbles start to form and divide. An egg white turns white because its millions of small bubbles reflect the light. At the same time, long proteins unfold and form a film that coats the air bubbles. Protein and air bubbles also trap water contained in the egg white: this is why it becomes firm.
The texture of shaving cream
For meringue to have maximum volume and stability, you have to beat egg whites until the air bubbles become smaller and the mixture holds well. How do you know if they have been beaten enough? Egg whites should have the smoothness of shaving cream and form peaks when you remove the whisk.
On the other hand, if the whites are beaten too much, proteins will bond together and there wont be enough of them to surround air bubbles. The appearance of the mixture will change: instead of looking soft and foamy, like shaving cream, it will become too hard and look dry. The egg whites will appear grainy.
The result wont be disastrous if you use grainy egg whites in a recipe, but isnt ideal either. Egg whites will expand less during baking as protein molecules have lost their elasticity. Result: cakes and soufflés dont rise as they should. But, all is not lost! To restore the texture of egg whites that have been beaten too long, add one more egg white and start whisking the mixture again. It will regain an almost perfect smoothness.
The CRAZY reason I use CORNSTARCH to get the softest cakes!
FAQ
Should I add cornstarch to meringue?
What does cornstarch do to egg whites?
Why add vinegar and cornstarch to meringue?
Can you add cornstarch to a meringue?
A few teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with the sugar helps by soaking up any liquid left in your meringue, leaving it shiny, beautiful, and puddle-free. Starch is especially helpful in hot, humid weather when a meringue is most likely to absorb extra moisture. Extracts and flavors aren’t necessary, but they’re a pleasant addition.
What is a substitution for cornstarch?
Flour is used as a thickener in many of the same recipes that cornstarch is used. Another option would be rice flour that is made from milled rice. It has a consistency similar to wheat flour which makes it a great alternative as a thickener where wheat flour also works well. Among other options, such as: tapioca, potato starch, mandica flour, linseed flour. The choice will depend a lot on the type of preparation.
Does cream of tartar stabilize meringue?
Cream of tartar is added to introduce acid, which helps with the stabilization of meringue. However, you can still achieve meringue without it—just expect that the final result won’t be quite as thick and fluffy. The sugar in the mixture will still help to stabilize the meringue and will stabilize even better if you choose to use superfine sugar.
Do you need cornflour to make meringue?
Yes. The cornflour, like the vinegar, helps to stabilise the meringue and leads to a softer, more marshmallowy texture in the centre due to it binding water and holding it in the meringue. There’s no essential need for it, especially if you prefer a crisper meringue! Can you make meringue with icing sugar?