Tuesday Treat

Chocolate Meringue Cake

It’s my Birthday today, so I thought I’d celebrate with Chocolate Cake!…

This is one of those cakes that, if you are a lazy cook like me, you look at and think ,‘that looks complicated, it will take far too much energy to cook’ and you dismiss it…But, this cake is in fact quite straight forward to make, admittedly it requires a bit more time in the oven and you have to wait for it to cool properly before you can eat it, but it’s definitely worth the wait! What’s not to like…chocolate and meringue! I found this recipe some years ago in a magazine, it’s a recipe from Donna Hay.

This cake is supposed to look rustic – it will crack and collapse a bit!

240g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate)

180g unsalted butter, roughly chopped

2 eggs

4 eggs (extra) separated

90g brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50g plain flour (use gluten free if required – I use Doves)

½ teaspoon baking powder

40g ground almonds

220g caster sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar

3 teaspoons cornflour

25g cocoa powder, sifted (plus extra to dust)

1. Lightly grease and line the base of a 24cm round springform cake tin.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan and melt over a low heat. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Place the 2 eggs and the 4 extra egg yolks, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and  use an electric whisk to whisk until pale and thick – 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the chocolate mixture, the flour, baking powder and ground almonds and fold gently to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for 35-40minutes – it will only be partially cooked. Remove and set aside.
5. Increase the oven temperature to 180’c fan.
6. Place the 4 egg whites in a bowl and using an electric whisk, whisk until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, followed by the vinegar. Continue to whisk until the meringue is thick and glossy.
7. Sift the cornflour and cocoa together and add to the meringue, folding through to combine. Spread the meringue over the partially cooked cake .
8. Return to the oven (180’c fan) for 20 -25 minutes until the meringue is crisp and golden.
9. Allow the cake to stand in the tin for 15-20 minutes, before gently running a knife around the edge and removing it from the tin.
10. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving to allow the flavours to meld together. Dust with cocoa powder to serve. It is best served at room temperature – allow 30 minutes for it to warm up – it will become deliciously ‘fudgy’.