4

Chocolate hazelnut meringue cake

SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 1 HR 20 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

Dense and fudgy chocolate cake contrasts beautifully with feather-light chocolate
meringue in this moreish cake. Serve it with crème fraîche to round things out perfectly.

250 gm dark chocolate
(54%-58% cocoa solids),
finely chopped
150 gm butter, diced
6 egg yolks
50 gm brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
30 gm plain flour
20 gm Dutch-process cocoa,
plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp baking powder
30 gm hazelnut meal
Coarsely chopped roasted
hazelnuts and chocolate
curls, to serve
Crème fraîche (optional),
to serve

CHOC-HAZELNUT MERINGUE

4 eggwhites

80 gm caster sugar

80 gm brown sugar

1 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa

2 tsp cornflour

30 gm hazelnut meal

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Butter

a 21cm-diameter springform

cake tin and line base and

sides with baking paper. Melt

chocolate and butter in a bowl

over a saucepan of simmering

water, stirring occasionally

until smooth (2-3 minutes),

then remove from heat.

2 Whisk egg yolks, sugar and

vanilla in an electric mixer until

pale and flufy (4-5 minutes).

Fold in chocolate mixture, then

sift in flour, cocoa and baking

powder, add hazelnut meal and

fold to combine. Pour into

prepared tin and smooth top.

3 For choc-hazelnut meringue,

whisk eggwhites and a pinch of

salt in an electric mixer to soft

peaks (4-5 minutes). Gradually

add sugars, whisking until

mixture is glossy, then sift

in cocoa and cornflour, add

hazelnut meal and fold to

combine. Spoon onto chocolate

mixture, forming peaks and

swirls, then bake until meringue

is crisp (1 hour 15 minutes to

1 hour 20 minutes). Cool to

room temperature, then

carefully remove the sides of

the tin. Dust with extra cocoa,

scatter with hazelnuts and

chocolate curls and serve

with crème fraîche. ➤