"Show Me" Dessert (From Missouri)

A thin butter cake baked under its own meringue, closer to a Swedish toscakaka or a Baltimore-style meringue cake than to a pie. The batter is stiff and the quantity small, so the pan you choose decides whether this works.

• Pan sizeUse a 9-inch pie pan or 8-inch round. The batter is only about a cup and a half; in anything larger it bakes into a cracker.
• Slow ovenConventionally read as about 300-325F. The low heat suits the meringue, which browns and dries rather than scorching; much hotter and the almonds are likely to darken before the cake sets.
• Spreading the batterHalf a cup of flour against the butter, yolks and three tablespoons of milk gives a soft batter rather than a pourable one; the instruction is to spread it, so level it into the pan with an offset spatula.
• The saltOne full teaspoon of salt against half a cup of flour is far outside modern proportion for a sweet cake; a quarter teaspoon is the usual amount at this scale. Taste-check before committing.
• MeringueBeat the whites to soft peaks first, then add the quarter cup of sugar a spoonful at a time and beat to stiff, glossy peaks. Spread it so it touches the pan edge all the way round, which keeps it from shrinking inward as it bakes.
• AlmondsA cup of coarsely chopped almonds is a heavy layer for one small cake. Blanched or skin-on both work; sliced almonds sit more evenly if you want less weight pressing into the meringue.
• DonenessTwenty-five minutes gives a pale, crisp-shelled meringue with a marshmallowy interior. If the top is still tacky, give it another five to ten minutes rather than raising the heat.
• Yield and servingSix small wedges. Cool in the pan before cutting, and use a serrated knife with a sawing motion so the meringue crust cracks cleanly. Serve with whipped cream, as directed.