Chocolate Meringue Cake Food

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 MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and shiny and the sugar granules cannot be felt in the whites. Beat in the vanilla, reduce speed to low and add cocoa until combined. With a spatula put the egg white mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2-inch meringue "kisses" on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the middle of oven for 2 hours. Turn off oven and leave the meringues in it for at least 2 more hours or until meringues are completely dry.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• FOR CAKE:.
• Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy.
• Add sugar and beat well.
• Add egg yolks, one at a time and beat until well blended after each addition.
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and 2 teaspoons flavoring.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cocoa. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture; beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition until well blended.
• Stir in the pecans and mix well.
• Fold in the beaten egg whites and pour the batter into 3 well greased 9 inch cake pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove cake to wire racks to cool completely.
• CREAM CHEESE FILLING:.
• Beat the first four ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
• Once the cake cools completely, spread this filling between the layers.
• GANACHE:.
• Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
• Cool until ganache becomes a spreading consistency (stirring often).
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with ganache reserving 1/2 cup.
• MERINGUES:.
• Beat the egg whites, vinegar and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy.
• Gradually add sugar; beating until soft peaks form and sugar dissolves.
• Fold in chocolate.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake at 250°F for 35 minutes.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Once cool, mound meringues on top of cake to form a small mountain, beginning at the sides and working in, layering 3-4 layers high. Drizzle the meringues with the remaining ganache.
• TO SERVE THE CAKE:.
• Before cutting, remove the meringues with small tongs and use them as a garnish on each cake serving.
• TO STORE:.
• IF you have any cake left, store it in the refrigerator without the meringues. Store the meringues in an airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
• Stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, oil, vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
• Stir in 1 cup boiling water (the batter will be thin), then pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For the raspberry meringue buttercream: Heat the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the egg white mixture on high speed until peaks form and the mixture cools, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the butter, a little at a time. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and mix.
• Fold in the raspberry paste extract right before icing the cake.
• To assemble the cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, cut each into two layers (you will have 4 layers total). Fill the first layer with a cup of buttercream and repeat each layer until all layers are assembled and stacked.

UKRAINIAN LAVISH CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• The day before assembling the cake, make the meringue layers. Cut out TWO-11-inch circles from parchment or freezer paper; grease well with butter and sprinkle lightly with flour.
• Preheat the oven to 250°F Fold the rim of the baking circles slightly upward.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and vinegar together until the whites hold a stiff peak. Add the superfine sugar, a few Tablespoons at a time, beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy. To make superfine sugar blend in the blender until it is superfine.
• Gently fill each circle with half the meringue mixture, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until the meringues are light golden and dry, 1 hour.
• Invert the meringues onto a plate and peel off the parchment paper. Leave in a dry spot overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 350°F Line the bottom a 10-inch sprinform pan with parchment or freezer paper. Lightly butter the paper and sprinkle lightly with flour.
• To make the walnut chocolate layer, in a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.
• With clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the whites into the beaten yolks, then fold in the rest, alternating with the grated chocolate and walnuts.
• Fold in the bread crumbs, coffee, and lemon juice.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake until the cake tester comes out clean, another 20 to 25 minutes.
• When the cake cools off a little, remove the sides of the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper. Using a serrated knife, cut it horizontally into two layers.
• Whip the cream with the sugar, instant coffee, and rum extract until it holds stiff peaks.
• Place one of the walnut-chocolate layers, cut side up, on a cake platter and spread it with 1/2 cup of the red currant preserves and then with one-third of the coffee-flavored cream. Top with one meringue layer. Spread another one-third of the cream on the meringue layer and top with the second meringue layer. Spread the rest of the cream filling on the meringue. Spread the remaining preserves over the remaining walnut-chocolate layer. Place the walnut-chocolate layer, preserves side down, on top of the cream filling.
• You should have the following layers, starting at the bottom: walnut-chocolate, preserves, cream, meringue, cream, meringue, cream, preserves, walnut-chocolate.
• For the icing, melt the chocolate and shortening in the water in the top of a double boiler, over barely simmering water.
• Spread the top and sides of the cake with warm chocolate icing. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 12.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE MONT BLANC CAKE

Steps:

• Grease 2 deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then set aside to cool a little.
• In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs, yolks and sugars with an electric whisk until doubled in size - this will take about 5 mins. Sieve in the flour, cocoa and baking power with a pinch of salt. Fold the chestnut purée into the chocolate butter mixture, then add to the other bowl and gently fold everything together. Divide evenly between the tins.
• Working quickly, clean the whisks and your large bowl, put the egg whites in the bowl and whisk until stiff. Add the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking continuously, until thick and able to hold stiff peaks. Use a spoon to dot the meringue on top of the cake mixture in both tins, then use the back of the spoon to spread the mixture. Fill the gaps to touch the edges of the tins - make nice swirly dips and peaks as you spread. Bake for 1 hr 15 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with moist but set crumbs. Cool completely.
• When you're ready to serve, make the filling. Put the cream, chestnut purée and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk until softly whipped. Remove the cakes from their tins and place 1 on a cake stand or plate (save the one with the prettiest top for the final layer). Dollop on the cream and swirl out towards the edges (don't worry if you crush the meringue a bit). Place the next sponge on top, dust with icing sugar, then top with chocolate shavings, if using. Best served straight away, but will keep in the fridge for 2 days.