Raspberry Chocolate Dacquoise Cake
A labour of love, Chocolate Raspberry Dacquoise Cake is undoubtedly a show stopper of a dessert. Layers of chewy & nutty meringue hide a filling of fresh raspberries, chocolate ganache and raspberry coulis. Bound together in a pretty raspberry cream this in one dessert not to pass up.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the Dacquoise Layers
- 5 Egg Whites (200g)
- 125 g/ 4.5 oz Golden caster sugar
- 125 g/ 4.5 oz Light muscovado sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour (cornstarch)
- 60 g/ 2 oz Almonds (blanched)
- 60 g/ 2 oz Pistachios (shells removed)
- 60 g/ 2 oz Hazelnuts (blanched)
For the Raspberry Coulis
- 300 g/ 10.5 oz Fresh raspberries
- 3 tablespoon Caster sugar
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 60 g/ 2 oz Dark chocolate
- 100 ml/ 3.5 fl oz Double (heavy) cream
For the Raspberry Cream
- 600 ml/ 20 fl oz Double (heavy) cream)
- 2 tablespoon Amaretto
- 3 tablespoon Icing (confectioners) sugar
Decoration
- 150 g/ 5 oz Fresh raspberries
- 3 tablespoon 3 tablespoon toasted almond flakes
- 2 tablespoon 2 tablespoon chocolate flakes
Instructions
Make the Raspberry Coulis
- Put the raspberries into a medium saucepan with the sugar and cook gently until they begin to break down
- Turn up the heat and boil rapidly until the sauce reaches 100-105C (212-221F)
- Take off the heat and pass through a fine-meshed metal sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds and divide the remaining sauce equally between 2 bowls
- Set aside to cool
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Chop the chocolate and place in a microwave-proof bowl with the cream
- Cook in the microwave on high for 30-60 seconds until the cream is hot and the chocolate is beginning to melt
- Let stand for 1 minute then whisk the ingredients together until smooth and glossy
- Set aside to cool
Make the Dacquoise LAyers
- Preheat the oven to 110C (230F / GM¼)Cut 3 rectangles of baking parchment to fit 3 baking sheets. Draw an 8-inch circle onto each piece of parchment
- Mix the sugars together in a bowl
- Put the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until soft peaks form
- Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk
- Leave the stand mixer running and add the sugar, 1 spoonful at a time until all of the sugar has been added. This process will take around 5 minutes, but the meringue will be a much better texture than if you add it all in one go. At the end, the meringue should be thick and glossy
- Pour in the vanilla extract and whisk until combined
- Turn off the mixer. Using a spatula, fold the ground nuts gently into the meringue
- Divide the nutty meringue between the three circles. I find it easier to achieve a neat circular shape if I pipe a line of meringue around the edge of each circle before spooning the rest into the centre and spreading it out to the piped edge with a palette knife. Use a wide, plain nozzle for the piping
- Place the meringue discs into the oven to bake for 1 hour 15 minutes - rotate the baking sheets halfway through to ensure the meringues bake evenly
- After the 75 minutes are up, try to peel the parchment away from each meringue disc - it should easily come away. If it does not, allow to cook for 15 more minutes and test again
- Once cooked, let cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar
Make the Raspberry Cream
- Once the meringue discs have cooled completely start to whip the cream with the icing sugar until it just begins to hold its shape
- Continue to whip until the cream is well mixed and holds its shape firmly. Take care not to overwhip the cream though
Assembling the Cake
- Set aside 16-18 raspberries for the top of the cake
- Place a small dab of raspberry cream in the centre of a cake stand or serving plate and lay one meringue disc on top
- Take a heaped tablespoon of raspberry cream and spread it to the edges using a palette knife
- Rip half of the remaining raspberries up and scatter over the cream
- From the remaining bowl of raspberry coulis, take half and drizzle it over the cream and raspberries
- Next drizzle half of the chocolate ganache over the top - it may be easier to pipe the ganache over if it has thickened beyond the drizzling stage
- Top with another meringue disc
- Repeat steps 3-6 above with the remaining ingredients
- Place the final layer of meringue on top
- Reserve ⅓ of the remaining raspberry cream for piping decorations on the top of the cake and use the rest of the cream to cover the top and sides of the cake
- Press the toasted almond flakes around the side of the cake
- Pipe a pretty design onto the top of the cake, adorn with the fresh raspberries and scatter the chocolate flakes into the centre
- Cover carefully and transfer to the fridge to rest for 24 hours
- Remove from the fridge 1 hour before serving to take the chill off the cake
- Leftovers should be stored in the fridge and eaten within 3 days