This cake consists of three layers of meringue covered with cocoa flavoured, stabilized whipped cream. Two of the meringue layers are made with addition of chopped hazelnuts. The meringues can be baked a few days ahead of assembling the cake. The cake can be served on the day its assembled, but some people prefer it on the next day after the meringue has softened by absorbing moisture from the whipped cream.
Recipe
The meringues can be prepared ahead of time and kept at room temperature in a dry place.
Ingredients
For meringues
| 6 | egg whites (from extra large eggs, about 210g) |
| 490 g | sugar (about 1-1/2 cup) |
| 1/2 cup | finely chopped hazelnuts |
| 2 tsp | 5% vinegar |
For cream
| 1 L | Whipping cream |
| 4 | packets of Dr. Oetker’s WhipIt |
| 10 tbsp | Sugar |
| 4 tbsp | Cocoa powder |
Recommended
| Raspberries, blackberries or whole hazelnuts for decoration |
Directions
Meringues
- It is best to use egg whites that are at room temperature
- Place egg whites in a stand-mixer bowl.
- Beat them with a whisk attachment at medium low first, then increase the speed to max.
- Once the soft peaks form, reduce speed to medium low and gradually add sugar.
- Increase speed back to max and continue beating for 8 minutes.
- Add vinegar and continue beating for additional 2 minutes.
- Take 1/3 of the egg-white foam and and spread it evenly over aluminum foil to form about 20 cm/8 inch circle. It is convenient to have a circle marked on the aluminum foil. I usually put the foil on a table cloth on the table and press a round plate of the right diameter upside down to impress a circle, then move the foil to a baking sheet. You can also use a piping bag to distribute the egg-white foam in a spiral form over the marked circle. I use a zip-lock bag with a cut corner as a disposable piping bag, no piping tip required.
- To the rest of the egg-white foam add the chopped hazelnuts, and mix them in with the whisk or a spoon.
- From that mix form two circles the same size as the first one.
- Bake in the oven preheated to 225°F/108°C for 2 hours and 25 minutes, then turn the oven off. Do not open the oven. Leave the meringues in the oven until it cools down (overnight).
Cream
Prepare immediately before assembling the cake.
- It is best to use the whipping cream directly from the fridge.
- Place the cream in the stand-mixer bowl.
- Sprinkle WhipIt over the cream, and start beating it first at medium low, then at high speed.
- Once the foam starts to stiffen a little, add sugar and continue beating while adding cocoa powder.
- Continue to beat until the foam is stiff but make sure not to over-beat it. It should be firm but not grainy.
Assembling the Cake
- Use the meringue without hazelnuts as a bottom layer and the two with hazelnuts, which are more fragile, as the second and third layer.
- Using a piping bag distribute the whipped cream in a tight spiral shape from the center of the meringue layer until you reach the edge. The size of the piping tip will determine the thickness of the cream layer. No need to smooth the surface.
- Put the next meringue layer on top of the first layer of cream, and spread the next layer of cream over it as described in step 2.
- Repeat with the third layer of meringue and cream, but this time smooth the top surface.
- Finish the cake by covering the sides of the cake with the cream.
- Decorate the top of the cake with fruits (raspberries, blackberries, etc., hazelnuts, or small blobs of the remaining cream piped with a ridged piping tip.
- Keep in a cold place until serving.