Dacquoise (Meringue Cake)

Ehhh, vacation goes by so fast, I can hardly believe it. I was just packing, and now I'm already back home. But it was great! I got some rest, spent time with my family, and I came back with a new haircut, a ton of new clothes and new recipes for you :)

Dacquoise, a meringue cake, had been waiting on my to-make list for a long time. But the girls from a friendly forum made my mouth water so much that I couldn't resist. There was a birthday occasion, too, and enough hungry people who devoured this cake very quickly. Luckily for me, because I didn't get the chance to eat a second slice.

Dacquoise, meringue cake

This cake is very sweet, but bearable in its sweetness. That's how the meringue is, and how it has to be. I think you can experiment with the flavors. In mine I used dark chocolate. If you like it really sweet, use milk chocolate. You can also use cocoa or instant coffee (dissolved in a little water), dried fruit or nuts. I also used regular liquid 30% cream, because it makes the filling seem more delicate to me. The thick 36% one seems too dense to me.

This cake is not easy to divide into portions. So I recommend planning its size well (it's hard to cut a small slice). With the amounts of ingredients given, I got a cake of about 22-24 cm, and I managed to cut it into 10 slices.

Directions - Dacquoise, meringue cake:

Prepare two baking sheets. Line both with parchment paper and, if you like, draw a circle so you get 2 identical layers.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Convection setting is best.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Toward the end add 1/3 of the sugar and keep beating until the whites are stiff. Add another 1/3 of the sugar and keep beating. Finally, add the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until the whites are glossy and so stiff that you can cut them with a knife and they hold their shape. At the end add the potato starch, almonds and vinegar and beat well again.

Spread the meringue on the prepared baking sheets, reduce the temperature to 100°C (210°F) and dry both sheets at once for about 2 hours, switching their places every now and then. Take them out and let them cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream. Melt the chocolate and let it cool a bit. Beat the mascarpone and heavy cream until stiff and add the chocolate little by little until it is mixed into the cream. Don't beat the cream for too long, though, so it doesn't curdle.

Carefully place the bottom layer on a cake stand (you won't be able to move it later). The meringue is very delicate, so be very careful when peeling off the paper. Spread the cream on it and cover with the second meringue layer. Decorate with grated chocolate and serve.

Enjoy!