Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Meringue Topping

Position a rack in the middle level of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease or spray with baking spray a 9- x 9-inch metal baking pan.

For the meringue, fill the bottom of a double boiler with enough water to barely touch the bottom of the bowl placed on top. Inside the bowl, add egg whites, brown sugar, and water. Set over high heat and beat the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. The sugar should dissolve and the meringue should reach 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the top pot from the boiling water and set aside.

For the cake, combine butter, brown sugar, and egg yolks in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Switch to a spatula, and stir in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and grated apples by hand. Fold in the flour, blending well but being careful to not overmix.

Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Spread meringue evenly over the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is crisp, 45 to 50 minutes. The temperature of the center of the cake, not the meringue, should reach 190 degrees F (90 degrees C) on a digital thermometer. Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.