Chocolate Meringue Coffee Cake Recipes

ANNA CHWISTEK

Steps:

• Combine the flour with the potato starch, baking powder and cocoa powder.Crack the eggs and beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar until a very light mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the remaining sugar, whisking constantly, until a stiff and shiny mixture. Add the egg yolks and gently stir with a spatula. Then sift the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula just until combined.
• Line a 18 (or 20) cm springform with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter. Pour the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry, about 35-40 minutes at 170°C. Let cool completely.
• Start to beat the egg whites, add salt and beat until fluffy. Then slowly add the sugar, little by little, beating constantly until a thick and glossy meringue mixture.Prepare 2 sheets lined with baking paper and draw two 17 (or 19) cm circles. Put three tablespoons of the mixture on the drawn circles and smooth the top. Put the rest of the mixture into a piping bag with a decorative tip and squeeze tiny meringues for the decoration.Place the meringue in the oven preheated to 150°C, after 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 110°C and dry for 60 minutes with the door slightly open. Then reduce the temperature to 100°C and dry further for 120 minutes with the door slightly open.Turn off the oven, close the door and leave the meringue to cool completely. If you have the time, make the meringue the day before and leave to dry overnight.
• Dissolve the coffee in warm milk. Place the egg whites into your mixer bowl, add the sugar and place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir constantly with a whisk until all sugar is dissolved. It takes about 3 to 5 minutes. Rub the egg whites between your fingers, when sugar has dissolved, it's ready. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and start beating using a whisk attachment until glossy stiff peaks form and the bowl is cool. This takes about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl and start gradually, piece by piece, adding butter, beating with a hand mixer on the smallest gear. First, it will get curdled, but keep mixing on low until smooth and silky. At the end add the vanilla and coffee.
• Put the blueberry jam into a saucepan, add water and lemon juice and heat over low heat.
• Put the chocolate and the cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Stir until a smooth chocolate sauce.
• To assemble cut the cake into three layers, place one layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand, spread 3 tablespoons of blueberry jam, then 2 tablespoons buttercream, place the meringue and spread with 2 tablespoons buttercream. Place the second cake layer, spread with jam, then the buttercream, put the meringue and spread with buttercream. Add the third cake layer and spread with jam.Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer buttercream, pour the ganache over the top, decorate with the mini meringues and the remaining buttercream. Chill 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE FOR CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE WITH COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a marker, trace 10-inch circles on each sheet of parchment; turn paper marked-side down. In a large bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar, whisking until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Sift in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture in three additions, folding after each addition, until mostly incorporated.
• Transfer meringue to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Starting just within the marked circles, pipe meringue, working inward in a spiral pattern. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven, allowing meringues to dry out until oven is completely cool, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE POUND CAKE WITH COFFEE MERINGUE ICING

Steps:

• For the cake: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a nonstick 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the mascarpone, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 70 to 75 minutes. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
• For the icing: In a large bowl, using a high-powered hand mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour the coffee into the egg white mixture. Increase the speed to high and beat until smooth and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the icing in a serving bowl.
• Cut the pound cake into thin slices and serve with a dollop of icing.

CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment. Butter parchment, and sprinkle with flour; tap out excess. Set aside.
• Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and skins start to crack, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; rub vigorously with a clean kitchen towel to take off skins. Let cool; roughly chop. Set aside.
• Make cake batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and rum, if using; beat until combined. Set aside.
• In a clean mixer bowl, combine 6 egg whites and salt; using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining beaten egg whites just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make meringue: Combine hazelnuts, chopped chocolate, and cornstarch in a small bowl, and set aside. Place remaining 4 egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean mixer bowl; using a clean whisk attachment, beat on high speed until frothy. With mixer running, slowly add superfine sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Fold in hazelnut mixture.
• Remove cake from oven. Using an offset spatula, spread meringue mixture on top of cake, and return to oven. Bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, and release sides of pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving.

CHOCOLATE-COFFEE DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Mark out a 13x10-inch rectangle on parchment paper; place it on a baking sheet.
• Combine ground almonds, ground hazelnuts, 1/2 cup of caster sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl.
• Whip egg whites and cream of tartar together in another bowl until foamy, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup caster sugar until glossy and stiff. Fold in the nut-sugar mixture in two batches. Spread the meringue onto the parchment paper and mist the surface with water.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for another 90 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Whisk egg yolks, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt for buttercream together in a bowl.
• Heat milk to a simmer. Pour milk into the yolk mixture, whisking until smooth. Return mixture to the heat and continue whisking until thickened and stiff. Transfer custard to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Before using, bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Dissolve instant coffee in hot water.
• Whip butter in a bowl until light. Beat in the custard in 3 batches until just combined. Add coffee mixture and beat until light and fluffy.
• Place chocolate for ganache in a heat-proof bowl. Heat cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan; then pour over the chocolate to soften. Stir until smooth and cool for 5 minutes.
• Peel off paper from meringue and transfer to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to trim the edges and cut into 4 equal rectangles. Spread 3 rectangles each with about 1/4 cup ganache. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Spread remaining rectangle with about 1/2 cup buttercream; place on a wire rack. Place one ganache-coated meringue, chocolate-side down on top and press gently. Spread on 1/2 cup buttercream and repeat with the remaining meringue. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour more.
• Microwave remaining ganache in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals, until warm and runny. Pour over cake and garnish with whole hazelnuts.