Layer Cake with Chocolate Meringue
I'm super excited to share with you today this Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake recipe that's from Gemma Stafford's new cookbook, Bigger Bolder Baking: A Fearless Approach to Baking Anytime, Anywhere. This is Gemma's first cookbook, and it has a ton of truly good recipes like Devil's Food Cupcakes, Baked Cinnamon Sugar Churros, Chocolate Lava Pie, and of course, this beauty! I loved this cake, and I have no doubt you will too!
About the Recipe
This chocolate meringue layer cake is quite different from your typical chocolate cake, but trust me, it is very, very good! This method comprises two 10-inch round layers of light and crunchy chocolate meringue, Gemma's three-ingredient creamy chocolate mousse, house-made whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. It is the perfect combination of crunchy and creamy textures in every single chocolatey bite!
Suggested Tips for Making Gemma's Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake
Preparation Tips
- Before starting, ensure you can fit two parchment-lined cookie sheets (or jelly roll pans) in your oven. I could fit 2 15″ x 10″ x 1″ jelly roll pans into mine.
- I couldn't quite fit the suggested 10″ round disc of chocolate meringue onto my jelly roll pans, so I went with a 9″ round disc instead.
- If you want your meringue discs to be close to near-perfect circles, as I did, use an old-school compass to draw the circles onto both sheets of parchment paper. Then flip the parchment paper over and place them onto the cookie sheets or jelly rolls pans. If you have trouble seeing the pencil line, you can always go back over it with a black permanent marker. This was helpful when it came time to spread the chocolate meringue onto the prepared pans.
- When making the chocolate meringue and chocolate mousse, running a paper towel soaked in a little distilled white vinegar over your mixing bowl and whisk attachment (and any other equipment you plan to use with your egg whites) is a good idea. This will help remove any traces of grease, oil, or fats.
3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- The ingredient amounts listed below for Gemma's chocolate mousse recipe have been cut in half. If you'd like to make the chocolate mousse as a stand-alone recipe, you will need to double it.
- Regarding egg whites, it is highly recommended to use pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs are safe to consume because they've been rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time to destroy any bacteria. For more information, please see the USDA's article on pasteurized eggs.
- After making the chocolate mousse, I covered it tightly with some plastic wrap, then placed it in the fridge while waiting for the chocolate meringue discs to dry.
- When you're ready to put the chocolate meringue layer cake together, remove the chocolate mousse from the fridge and give it a good quick whisking.
Whipped Cream
- I also made the whipped cream while the chocolate meringue discs dried out. Then I placed it in the fridge and re-whipped it quickly before adding it to the top of the cake. This isn't required, just something You can do with whipped cream.
- If you'd like the whipped cream to be a little sweeter, add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2-3 tablespoons of sifted confectioners sugar.
Chocolate Meringue Discs
- After you make the chocolate meringue discs, you have to turn off your oven and leave them in there for 3 hours to dry out. I'll be honest, the waiting part was tough, but it was worth the wait after I had a slice of the assembled cake!
- And as tempting as it was, I did not open the door at all while the chocolate meringue discs baked. Nor did I open the turned-off oven while they were drying out.
Assembling the Cake
- Be careful removing the chocolate meringue discs from the parchment paper after they've dried out. Think of them as if they were Fabergé eggs. Handle them with care as you move them to the serving plate.
- I used an offset spatula to apply the chocolate mousse. I added a little at a time instead of all at once. Try doing the same with the whipped cream that you'll add to the top.
- The chocolate meringue discs may crack as you add the chocolate mousse and whipped cream…that's totally normal and okay. It's still going to taste memorable! Trust me!
- To make the chocolate shavings, use a vegetable peeler to shave off small pieces of chocolate. I found that a room-temperature bar of chocolate was easier to peel, and I started with the long side of the bar.
Final Tip
- Go out and buy (or order online) Gemma's new Bigger Bolder Baking cookbook! Like this method, you may like it and all the other recipes! Gift it to yourself or buy it for a family member or friend that loves to bake!❤️
- Yield 10 servings
- Prep 45 minutes
- Cook 4 hours 15 minutes
- Total 5 hours
- Calories 442
Ingredients
chocolate meringue layer cake
- 6 large Egg Whites, room temperature, pasteurized
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Distilled White Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted
- Chocolate Shavings
3 ingredient chocolate mousse
- 1 cups Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate
- 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- 3 large Egg Whites, room temperature, pasteurized
whipped cream
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
Method
chocolate meringue layer cake
- Heat the oven to 275ºF (135ºC). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a handheld electric mixer, bet the egg whites on low speed for 2 minutes, until bubbles start to form.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the egg whites start to thicken, roughly 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all incorporated. The egg whites will double in volume and become shiny.
- Add the cornstarch, vinegar, and cocoa powder and mix for 2 minutes more.
- Spread a flat 10-inch round disc of meringue on each prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Turn off the oven but leave the meringue in the oven to dry out for 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
3-ingredient chocolate mousse
- Put the chocolate and milk in a large heatproof bowl and gently melt in the microwave or over a bain-marie (see notes section below) or a double boiler. Hold to the side to cool slightly.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until fully incorporated, taking care not to overmix.
assemble the cake
- Set one meringue disc on a serving platter and generously spread the chocolate mousse over top, followed by half of the whipped cream. Place the other meringue disc on top and finish with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings (see notes in the section below). Keep refrigerated and enjoy within 2 days.
- Keep refrigerated and covered tightly with plastic wrap until you're ready to assemble the cake.
Baker notes
Prep time was not noted in the cookbook and is approximate. The 45-minute prep time includes the chocolate meringue discs, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream.
Instructions in italics were added by Sovuh.
Regarding egg whites, it is highly recommended to use pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs are safe to consume because they've been rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time to destroy any bacteria. For more information, please see the USDA's article on pasteurized eggs.
A bain-marie is a French technique that uses gentle heat to cook more delicate food like chocolate or custard. To create a bain-marie, bring some water to a simmer in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl, bigger than the mouth of the saucepan, over the simmering water, ensuring the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Put the ingredients in the bowl as directed in the method above and allow the heat of the steam below to melt the chocolate and milk together slowly and evenly.
To make the chocolate shavings, use a vegetable peeler to shave off small pieces of chocolate.
Reprinted with permission from Bigger Bolder Baking cookbook publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
