Chocolate Meringue Cake with Mousse and Whipped Cream
I’m thrilled to share this Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake recipe from Gemma Stafford’s new cookbook…
- Prep
- 45 mins
- Cook
- 4 hrs 15 mins
- Total
- 5 hrs
- Makes
- 10 servings
I’m thrilled to share this Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake today. It comes from Gemma Stafford’s new cookbook, Bigger Bolder Baking: A Fearless Approach to Baking Anytime, Anywhere. It is Gemma’s first cookbook and it is packed with great recipes, including 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 This Recipe
This chocolate meringue layer cake is far from a typical chocolate cake, but trust me, it is extremely good! It is built from two 10-inch round layers of light, crisp chocolate meringue, Gemma’s three-ingredient creamy chocolate mousse, homemade whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Each chocolatey bite brings together crunchy and creamy textures.
Helpful Tips for Gemma’s Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake
Prep Tips
- Before you start, make sure two parchment-lined cookie sheets (or jelly roll pans) will fit in your oven. 2 15″ x 10″ x 1″ jelly roll pans fit in mine.
- My jelly roll pans could not quite hold the suggested 10″ round of chocolate meringue, so I made 9″ rounds instead.
- For meringue discs that are almost perfectly round, like mine, trace circles with an old-school compass onto both sheets of parchment. Flip the parchment over and set it on the cookie sheets or jelly roll pans. If the pencil line is hard to see, go over it with a black permanent marker. The marked guide was very helpful when spreading the meringue.
- When making the meringue and mousse, it helps to wipe your mixing bowl, whisk attachment, and any other equipment that will touch the egg whites with a paper towel soaked in a little distilled white vinegar. This removes any trace of grease, oil, or fat.
3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- The mousse amounts listed below for Gemma’s recipe have been halved. If you want to make the mousse on its own, double the amounts.
- Pasteurized eggs are strongly recommended for the egg whites. They are safe to eat because they are heated quickly and held at a required minimum temperature for a set time, which destroys bacteria. For more details, see the USDA’s article on pasteurized eggs.
- Once the mousse is made, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it while the meringue discs dry.
- When you are ready to assemble the cake, take the mousse out of the fridge and give it a quick, brisk whisk.
Whipped Cream
- I whipped the cream while the meringue discs were drying, then refrigerated it and whipped it again briefly before spreading it on the cake. This step is optional, but it is something I like to do.
- For a sweeter whipped cream, stir in one teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2-3 tablespoons of sifted confectioners sugar.
Chocolate Meringue Discs
- Once the chocolate meringue discs are baked, turn off the oven and leave them inside for 3 hours to dry out. The waiting was hard, but it was worth it once I had a slice of the finished cake!
- As tempting as it was, I did not open the oven door while the discs baked, and I did not open the turned-off oven while they dried.
Assembling the Cake
- Be gentle when lifting the chocolate meringue discs off the parchment after they dry. Treat them like Fabergé eggs and handle them carefully as you move them to the serving plate.
- I spread the chocolate mousse with an offset spatula, adding it a little at a time rather than all at once. I suggest doing the same with the whipped cream on top.
- The chocolate meringue discs may crack as you add the mousse and whipped cream. That is completely normal and fine. It will still taste amazing! Trust me!
- To make chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler along a room-temperature bar of chocolate, starting from the long side. Room-temperature chocolate peels more easily.
Final Tip
- Go out and buy Gemma’s new Bigger Bolder Baking cookbook, or order it online! Like this recipe, you will LOVE it and every other recipe in there. Give it to yourself, or pick it up for a friend or family member who loves to bake!
Chocolate Meringue Cake with Mousse and Whipped Cream
This Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake comes from Gemma Stafford’s first cookbook, Bigger Bolder Baking: A Fearless Approach to Baking Anytime, Anywhere. It is made with 2, 10-inch round layers of light, crisp chocolate meringue, with creamy chocolate mousse and whipped cream between them. The top gets a delicate finish of more whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Every bite offers a perfect mix of crunchy and creamy textures!
- Prep
- 45 mins
- Cook
- 4 hrs 15 mins
- Total
- 5 hrs
- Makes
- 10 servings
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
- Preheat the oven to 275ºF (135ºC). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed for 2 minutes, until bubbles begin to form.
- Raise the speed to medium-high and whip until the egg whites begin to thicken, roughly 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it is fully incorporated. The egg whites should double in volume and turn shiny.
- Add the cornstarch, vinegar, and cocoa powder, then mix for 2 minutes more.
- Spread one flat, 10-inch round of meringue onto each prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Then turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside to dry for 3 hours.
- While that dries, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.
- Place the chocolate and milk in a large heatproof bowl and melt them gently in the microwave, or over a bain-marie (see the notes below) or double boiler. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a handheld mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate to loosen it. Then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites until fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Set one meringue disc on a serving platter and spread the chocolate mousse generously over it, then add half of the whipped cream. Top with the second meringue disc and finish with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings (see the notes below). Keep refrigerated and enjoy within 2 days.
- Keep refrigerated and tightly covered with plastic wrap until you are ready to assemble the cake.
Baker’s notes
- The cookbook did not list a prep time, so this is an estimate. The 45-minute prep time covers the chocolate meringue discs, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream.
- Instructions in italics are my own additions.
- Pasteurized eggs are strongly recommended for the egg whites. They are safe to eat because they are heated quickly and held at a required minimum temperature for a set time, which destroys bacteria. For more details, see the USDA’s article on pasteurized eggs.
- A bain-marie is a French technique that uses gentle heat to cook delicate foods like chocolate or custard. Bring some water to a simmer in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl that is wider than the mouth of the saucepan over the simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the ingredients as directed in the recipe above, and let the steam from below melt the chocolate and milk slowly and evenly.
- To make chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler over the chocolate to shave off small pieces.
- Reprinted with permission from the publisher of Bigger Bolder Baking, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
