Hello from the frigid Canadian winter! Is it cold where you are? This past weekend we smashed a 100 year old record for the coldest snow storm. We hit a -40 degree Celsius (with windchill) and 15-20cm of the white stuff fell from the sky. Normally we wouldn’t really bat an eye over that amount of snow, however, the general rule of thumb is that it rarely snows an incredible amount of snow when the temperature is so. damn. cold…. But here mother nature is proving us wrong, yet again!
So this weekend was spent in hibernation, mindlessly scrolling through my Instagram gallery, in between making blanket forts and snacks every 5 minutes. I realized that I have an alarming amount “circles” in my photos – cakes, tarts, pies, cookies, giant cinnamon buns – and lets not even talk about the plates, cake stands and glassware… It is something that has never occurred to me until now, but I am realizing that I gravitate toward baking and styling in circles… I could try to make a promise to attempt more straight lines, but lets face it… Why mess with a good thing!?
So, here I am sharing yet another circular baking post (granted, its tasty)! This smooth mocha mousse is sandwiched between two crispy layers of almond meringue. After you let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, the mousse will set and you can serve it like a cake.
MOCHA ALMOND MERINGUE CAKE
adapted from Donna Hay, serves 8-10 slices
ingredients
Almond Meringue:
2 tsp. quality instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp. boiling water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Mocha Mousse:
1/2 cup 18% pouring cream
1/4 cup quality instant coffee granules
250g white chocolate, finely chopped
150g dark chocolate, finely chopped
4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cup 35% whipping cream, whipped
steps
Almond Meringue:
Preheat oven to 250°F. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Draw a 7.5 inch diameter circle on each sheet and turn the paper over, to avoid marks transferring.
Place the coffee and water in a small bowl, mix to dissolve and set aside. In another small bowl, place cornstarch and almond meal and mix to combine. Set aside.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until the eggs start to foam. Add confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing on high for 30 sections before adding more.
Once all sugar is mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk for a further 2–3 minutes or until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Add the cornstarch mixture and coffee mixture and whisk until just combined.
On your trays lined with parchment paper, divide the meringue mixture evenly between the trays, spreading it within the circles.
Bake for 1 hour or until crisp and dry to the touch. Turn the oven off. Allow to cool in the oven with the door closed for 2 hours.
Mocha Mousse:
Place the 18% pouring cream and coffee in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the bowl shouldn’t touch the water).
Whisk to dissolve the coffee then add the chopped white and dark chocolates. Whisk continuously until melted. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Remove from heat.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, place the egg whites and whisk to soft peaks. Gently fold into the mousse, being careful not to fully deflate the egg whites.
Again, using the electric stand mixer, whip the 35% whipping cream. Add the whipped cream to the mousse and fold to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
tart assembly:
Line an 8″ springform pan with parchment paper.
Remove meringue disks from parchment paper. *NOTE* If stuck, place in freeze for 5 minutes and try to remove again.
Measure the meringue disks to see if they will fit inside the springform pan. If they expanded during baking, lightly place the bottom of the pan on the disks and, using a sharp knife, cut around the edges. Be careful not to crack the disk while removing excess pieces. Place one meringue disk in the bottom of the springform pan. Top with chilled mousse and then the remaining meringue.
Refrigerate for 3–4 hours or until set. When ready to serve, remove meringue cake from the springform pan and place on a cake stand or plate. Dust with extra icing sugar to serve. *NOTE: if you are looking for cleaner cut lines to minimize the amount of cracking the meringue will do, use a serrated knife and cut from the outside inward. There will inevitably be cracking, however this method may help!=
