Chocolate Meringue Truffle Cake
by Nigella. Featured in FEASTIntroduction
This is a favourite from a time, far in the distant past, when I went in for dinner parties! My late sister Thomasina brought it into my life about 40 years ago, and I still love it. Don't worry about the meringue part: this is not hard, not even remotely. You don't want airy puffy meringue here, but rather a contrastingly crackling base, with just a hint of chewy marshmallow. What you do need to know, though, is that this needs to be made a day or two in advance, so that it has time to set in the fridge.
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For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This is a favourite from a time, far in the distant past, when I went in for dinner parties! My late sister Thomasina brought it into my life about 40 years ago, and I still love it. Don't worry about the meringue part: this is not hard, not even remotely. You don't want airy puffy meringue here, but rather a contrastingly crackling base, with just a hint of chewy marshmallow. What you do need to know, though, is that this needs to be made a day or two in advance, so that it has time to set in the fridge.
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For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Yields: 10-12 slices
For the Base
- 1 large egg white
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- drop of white wine vinegar
For the Truffle Filling
- 400 grams dark chocolate
- 60 millilitres rum
- 60 millilitres golden syrup
- 500 millilitres double cream
- cocoa powder (to decorate)
For the Base
- 1 large egg white
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
- drop of white wine vinegar
For the Truffle Filling
- 14⅛ ounces bittersweet chocolate
- ¼ cup rum
- ¼ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
- 2 cups heavy cream
- unsweetened cocoa (to decorate)
Method
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF. Line a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin with baking parchment and oil the sides with some flavourless oil; almond would be good.
- Whisk the egg white until foamy peaks form and then whisk in the sugar a little at a time to make a thick, glossy mixture. Sieve over the cocoa and sprinkle with the vinegar, and whisk again to combine everything. Spread as evenly as you can over the bottom of the prepared cake tin and then put in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Leave to cool while you make the truffle filling.
- Melt the chocolate with the rum and syrup in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes or so.
- Whisk the cream until it thickens slightly — it should be slightly aerated and have the consistency of thick pouring custard, no thicker. Pour into the chocolate mixture, beating gently until everything is amalgamated.
- Pour into the meringue-bottomed tin and cover the springform with clingfilm, and put in the fridge for a night or day, or for up to two days.
- A short time before you are ready to serve the cake, take it out of the fridge and let it lose its chill. It will be easier to spring open if the chocolate truffle filling has become less fridge cold, although you don't want soft room temperature chocolate.
- Spring the cake free, then transfer to a plate without removing the base unless you think you can with ease (and have one of those big round spatulas). Smooth the sides with a spatula if you want a smarter look, and push the cocoa through a sieve to dust the top of the cake.
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF. Line a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin with baking parchment and oil the sides with some flavourless oil; almond would be good.
- Whisk the egg white until foamy peaks form and then whisk in the sugar a little at a time to make a thick, glossy mixture. Sieve over the cocoa and sprinkle with the vinegar, and whisk again to combine everything. Spread as evenly as you can over the bottom of the prepared cake tin and then put in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Leave to cool while you make the truffle filling.
- Melt the chocolate with the rum and syrup in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes or so.
- Whisk the cream until it thickens slightly — it should be slightly aerated and have the consistency of thick pouring custard, no thicker. Pour into the chocolate mixture, beating gently until everything is amalgamated.
- Pour into the meringue-bottomed tin and cover the springform with clingfilm, and put in the fridge for a night or day, or for up to two days.
- A short time before you are ready to serve the cake, take it out of the fridge and let it lose its chill. It will be easier to spring open if the chocolate truffle filling has become less fridge cold, although you don't want soft room temperature chocolate.
- Spring the cake free, then transfer to a plate without removing the base unless you think you can with ease (and have one of those big round spatulas). Smooth the sides with a spatula if you want a smarter look, and push the cocoa through a sieve to dust the top of the cake.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge until needed. Leftovers will keep, covered, in the fridge for an extra day. To freeze, wrap the cake (still in its tin) in a double layer of food wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap, loosely cover and leave overnight in the fridge, but note that the meringue base may be a little softer and chewier when defrosted. Eat within 3 days of defrosting.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge until needed. Leftovers will keep, covered, in the fridge for an extra day. To freeze, wrap the cake (still in its tin) in a double layer of food wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap, loosely cover and leave overnight in the fridge, but note that the meringue base may be a little softer and chewier when defrosted. Eat within 3 days of defrosting.
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What 4 Others have said
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Posted by George739 on 16th November 2018
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Posted by else.uys on 29th April 2013
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Posted by hindll01 on 11th May 2012
Show more commentsThis is the kind of cake I make when I want something elegant but without lots of separate elements as it looks great presented simply with just the dusting of cocoa. The meringue base layer combined with the smooth lusciousness of the aerated chocolate truffle is really indulgent and I definitely recommend. Just so you know, I've served it after 4 hours chilling in the fridge (and it was perfect) so it doesn't have to be chilled overnight or for a full day if your a bit behind schedule.
My husband is not a sweet eater... but this is his absolute favorite... I'm about to make it for desert tomorrow night, it will have to be hidden behind something in the fridge....so he can't find it!
Made this for my brother's birthday this year... HE LOVED IT! And so did the rest of. Decadent, delicious dark chocolate! Serious YUM!...P.S. Made it with brandy and a dash of frangelico instead of the rum, worked a treat!
The full chocolate taste is very very rich and decadent. Next time I make this I will try to create smaller individual cakes as I found it hard to serve up a piece of this cake as it is quite delicate to cut.