White Chocolate Meringue Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH SNOWY MERINGUE

Steps:

• Make the cake layers: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust with flour, and tap out excess; set aside. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Let cool completely. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Mix in buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the eggs, 2 at a time. Add melted chocolate; mix until smooth.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and remove parchment. Let cool completely on racks.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache filling: Bring cream to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl; stir until smooth. Let cool completely. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until mixture reaches a medium stiff consistency, 2 to 5 minutes, checking frequently. If it does not reach this consistency, chill in freezer up to 5 minutes, then continue beating.
• Assemble cake: Trim rounded tops of cakes flat. Stir together 1 1/2 cups filling and the almonds; spread over one cake layer. Top with second layer, and spread remaining filling over top and sides. Smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until filling is very firm, 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache glaze: Bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate in a bowl; stir until smooth. Let cool completely.
• Transfer assembled cake to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze over cake all at once, using a spatula to push it over edges and down sides. (This must be done in one pour or the coating will have drips.) Refrigerate until set, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the topping: Put egg whites and sugar into a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture reaches 160 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 7 to 10 minutes. Mound meringue on top of cake; swirl decoratively. Serve.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE TORTE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Trace two 8-in. circles 1 in. apart on paper; set aside. Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. , Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa together 2 times; gently fold into batter. Fold in vanilla. Spread evenly over circles. , Bake at 275° for 1 hour. Turn oven off and do not open door; let meringues dry for 1 hour. , Remove from oven; cool on baking sheet. When completely cool, remove meringues from paper; store in an airtight container., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, then egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; add to batter alternately with buttermilk and water., Pour into two 9-in. round baking pans coated with cooking spray and floured. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. , Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread 1/2 cup whipped topping over cake layer; top with a meringue and another 1/2 cup topping. Top with second cake layer, 1/2 cup topping, second meringue and remaining topping. Sprinkle with toffee bits and shaved chocolate.

STRAWBERRY-CHOCOLATE MERINGUE TORTE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine strawberries and 1 teaspoon sugar. In another bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate strawberries and whipped cream, covered, until assembly., Preheat oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Trace two 8-in. circles 1 in. apart on paper; set aside. Add cream of tartar and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread evenly over circles., Bake until set and dry, 70-80 minutes. Turn off oven (do not open oven door); leave meringues in oven 1-1/2 hours. Remove from oven; cool completely. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Spread evenly over tops of meringues. Carefully remove one meringue to a serving plate. Remove whipped cream from refrigerator; beat until stiff peaks form. Spread half of the whipped cream over the meringue; top with half of the strawberries. Repeat layers. Serve immediately.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH SPIKY MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CAKE: Place 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and the second in the bottom third. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter or cooking spray, dust the pans with flour, and knock out the excess.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the 1 cup butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the vanilla into the 1 cup whipping cream. Add the flour mixture and cream in alternating batches, beginning and ending with flour. After each addition, mix on low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups nuts.
• In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the 5 egg whites on high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Set 2 layers on 1 rack and the third on the other. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Bake until the cake is firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each may be done at a different time. Cool the layers in their pans about 10 minutes; unmold onto wire racks to cool completely.
• TO MAKE THE FILLING: Melt the 2 cups white chocolate chips in a metal bowl set over a saucepan with 2 inches of lightly simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted completely. Or melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave at 50 percent power-30 seconds at first, then in 15-second increments, stirring the chocolate between each heating until melted. Let the chocolate cool for about 15 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the 2 cups butter on medium-high speed, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup whipping cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. Beat in the cooled white chocolate until it is completely incorporated.
• TO MAKE THE MERINGUE FROSTING: Set a large, perfectly clean metal bowl over a pot filled with 2 inches of lightly simmering water. Pour in the 10 egg whites and the 3 cups granulated sugar. Heat the egg whites and sugar, whisking constantly, until the sugar melts and there are no visible grains in the meringue. (Rub a little bit of meringue between your fingers to make sure all sugar grains have melted.) Remove the meringue from the heat and beat it in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on high speed until the meringue is stiff and shiny, about 5 minutes. Fold in the 1 cup cooled melted chocolate.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread the top with half of the filling. Repeat with a second layer. Stack the final cake layer on top of the first 2 and generously cover the top and sides with meringue frosting. Sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts.
• You can make and assemble the cake layers and filling up to 1 day in advance. Wrap and refrigerate. Make the icing within a few hours of serving.
• For a spectacular presentation, use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue frosting until it is a light golden brown. Hold it 2 to 3 inches away from the meringue and move the flame slowly around the frosted cake until it is golden all over. I love the way it makes the cake look like a giant meringue.
• White chocolate is made with just cocoa butter, the fat component of the cacao bean, plus milk solids, sugar, and, depending on the brand, other flavorings and ingredients. But some manufacturers replace all or most of the cocoa butter with vegetable oils-even partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. For best results, I recommend Sunspire white chocolate chips, Bernard Callebaut white chocolate drops, or Guittard white chocolate wafers.