Yummy dessert! Scottos’ red velvet cupcakes

To make cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a different bowl mix together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

To make frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add cream cheese a little at a time, periodically scraping down the bowl until uniform and smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Frost cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 300° F. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until they begin to foam. Gradually add the brown sugar and whip until a stiff meringue forms. Fold in the nuts.

Drop the batter by the tablespoonful onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

To make an ice-cream sandwich, put a scoop of the cinnamon ice cream between two of the cookies and top with chocolate sauce.

To make cake: Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray 9-inch diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk continuously just until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from double boiler. Beat mixture until very thick and smooth, about 7 minutes. Add flour in 3 stages, gently folding just to combine each. Quickly fold in butter in 2 stages; do not overmix. Pour batter into springform pan.

Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool fully in pan then remove from pan.

To make filling: Line 4-quart, 10-inch diameter bowl with plastic wrap, leaving 8-inch overhang. Spread sorbet in even layer over bottom of bowl. Spread ice cream over sorbet. Place cake on top of ice cream, pressing down slightly to compact. Cover with plastic wrap overhang; freeze overnight.

To make meringue: Beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until thick and glossy, then beat in vanilla.

Unfold plastic wrap from over cake at top of bowl. Invert onto 9-inch diameter tart pan bottom; remove plastic wrap. Quickly spread meringue over dessert. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat over to 500° F. Place on large baking sheet. Bake until meringue is a light golden color, about 3 to 4 minutes (watch carefully not to overcook or melt the dessert). Place on serving platter, slice and serve accompanied with rhubarb compote.

To make rhubarb compote: Slice rhubarb into ½-inch pieces. Combine with sugar, cornstarch and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat, remove vanilla bean pod. Serve warm or at room temperature.