An impressive, insanely rich but with refined flavour chocolate gateau, a dark chocolate truffle cake on a meringue base. It’s certainly a unique dessert!
The dark side of desserts
The truffle meringue cake is related to a classic pavlova, but this is the Black Swan. This chocolate meringue base topped with dark chocolate ganache is rich where a pavlova is light. It’s a delicious dessert you only want a sliver of, rather than a huge wedge of a pav. It is the Yin to the pavlova’s Yang.
The recipe follows Nigella Lawson’s chocolate meringue truffle cake with a few twists and turns, hopefully for the better even though the thought that one could improve on Nigella is somewhat preposterous.
How to make the meringue base
I have modified the original recipe to make the base twice as thick and much crunchier. The truffle filling will press down on and thoroughly melt into the meringue base so if you want the base to be at all discernible, follow my advice.
Even with double the amounts, two egg whites are too little for a standing mixer, so either whisk them by hand or use a hand-held appliance. Once the egg whites form soft peaks, start adding the sugar, beating all the time: so far, so meringue.
When the sugar is used up and the meringue glossy, sift the cocoa over it and sprinkle the vinegar. Carefully beat or whisk it in until smoothly combined.
Bake the meringue, spread on the bottom of a parchment-lined springform tin, for half an hour or longer, until it’s dry and crunchy. It will puff up tremendously in the oven but then quickly collapse when out – that’s a perfectly normal behaviour.
Mini meringue decorations
I reserved some meringue mix and piped tiny blobs onto a separate baking tray and baked them underneath the base. But that of course is completely optional.
How to make the truffle filling
The truffle filling is simply a large quantity of dark chocolate ganache, whipped to slightly lighter consistency. It is incredibly rich but not sickly sweet, as the dark chocolate is only slightly sweetened with golden syrup – which at the same time keeps the mix stable.
The easiest way to make the filling is to melt the chocolate in a large bowl set over a bain-marie, a pan with simmering water generating steam to warm the chocolate.
The flavouring can be Kahlua liqueur which I adore, but you can use brandy, rum or amaretto if you prefer. Or keep it alcohol-free and add some almond or coffee essence.
Melted chocolate needs to cool down slightly while you whip the double cream, but only to thickish, runny consistency. The two can then be combined and whisked until amalgamated, and then some more, to lighten the texture.
Assembling the cake
Before you pour the ganache onto the meringue base, make sure the sides of the tin are brushed with oil: go for flavourless groundnut, grapeseed, or neutral walnut or almond. That will ensure the springform releases the cake smoothly.
Covered with cling film, the tin can now go to the fridge for as long as you choose: three to four hours will allow to see and taste the meringue base and longer than that, up to a couple of days, will turn it into a homogenous chocolate truffle dessert.
A sprinkling of cocoa powder before serving is a must either way, and if you have baked mini decorations, arrange them on top of the cake.
It will keep for a good few days in the fridge which is good, as you can only manage a thin slice of it at a time.
More chocolate dessert recipes
Easy chocolate mousse recipe with no eggs: a simple, two ingredient chocolate dessert ready in minutes. It’s a whipped cream chocolate mousse, a whipped ganache served as dessert.
Triple chocolate profiteroles, made with choux pastry filled with Chantilly and chocolate mousse, glazed with white and dark chocolate sauce.
Marzipan truffles, chocolate covered balls of homemade marzipan, and the chocolate is also homemade! Vegan, easy and utterly delicious.
More celebration cake recipes
Andalusia, lemon and chocolate torte or entrement is the ultimate chocolate experience. A challenging, but possible to replicate at home Parisian confection from La Maison Du Chocolat.
Devil’s food cake with hazelnut praline and mascarpone cream is unbelievably good. Just the recipe for the next birthday occasion.
Cherry cream dacquoise is an exquisite gateau which is far easier to make than you’d think. Almond meringue dacquoise layers filled with fresh cream and homemade candied cherries – a riff on black forest gateau.