Meringue Tulips Cake for Mother's Day

This cake is for my mom.

My mom's favorite flower is the tulip.

She has 100% dutch heritage, and grew up
in a small Iowa town where almost everyone was dutch.

Each year, that little town is covered with tulips for the annual tulip festival.

Here is my mom in her costume and wooden shoes, ready for the parade!

I made strawberry meringue tulips to decorate my mom's cake.
They are light, crunchy and sweet...yum!

Strawberry Meringue Tulips

adapted from Sweetapolita

3 large egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (3 oz.) Strawberry Jell-O
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Combine Jell-O and sugar, and pour mixture into the mixing bowl in a steady stream. Turn the mixer speed to med-high and beat until meringue is stiff, thick, and glossy (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Place the meringue into a decorating bag fitted with Wilton #125 tip (large petal) and pipe the tulips onto the baking sheets.

Bake for 2 hours, then turn off the oven and let the tulips cool completely before taking out.

Store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags at room temperature and away from moisture.

1. Hold your decorating bag so the tip is vertical, like a teardrop. Make a teardrop shape, stop squeezing, then lift up.
2. Place your tip above the bottom left side of the teardrop. Squeeze while sweeping to the right with an upward motion.
3. Repeat, moving from right to left.

After the meringues were completely cooled,
I attached them to my cake with a dab of frosting on the back.
I piped stems with a Wilton #5 round tip,
and piped leaves with a Wilton #352 tip.