Meringue Gelato Cake With Chocolate Sauce
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLISSIMAIntroduction
I found this recipe for one of the world's easiest but most delicious desserts in a rather fabulous book, by chef and "culinary philosopher" Gioacchino Scognamiglio, called Il Chichibio: ovvero poesia della cucina, which translates as "The Gallant: or the Poetry of Cooking" (and Chichibio, I should also tell you, was a rakish Venetian cook in Boccaccio's Decameron). At Scognamiglio's instigation, I went to great lengths to acquire a bottle of Elisir San Marzano — sadly no longer available — which has a peculiarly Italian, chocolate-coffee-herbal hit. Feel free to use coffee liqueur or rum or, better still, a mixture of the two in its place.
This is a no-churn affair. You mix everything together, wodge it into a loaf tin, freeze and you're done.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
I found this recipe for one of the world's easiest but most delicious desserts in a rather fabulous book, by chef and "culinary philosopher" Gioacchino Scognamiglio, called Il Chichibio: ovvero poesia della cucina, which translates as "The Gallant: or the Poetry of Cooking" (and Chichibio, I should also tell you, was a rakish Venetian cook in Boccaccio's Decameron). At Scognamiglio's instigation, I went to great lengths to acquire a bottle of Elisir San Marzano — sadly no longer available — which has a peculiarly Italian, chocolate-coffee-herbal hit. Feel free to use coffee liqueur or rum or, better still, a mixture of the two in its place.
This is a no-churn affair. You mix everything together, wodge it into a loaf tin, freeze and you're done.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Yields: 6-8 slices
For the Meringue Gelato Cake
- 300 millilitres double cream
- 30 grams dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
- 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (and/or rum)
- 100 grams shop-bought meringue nests
- 250 grams raspberries (to serve, optional)
For the Chocolate Sauce
- 250 millilitres double cream
- 125 grams dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (and/or rum)
For the Meringue Gelato Cake
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
- 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (and/or rum)
- 4 ounces shop-bought meringue cookies
- 8 ounces raspberries (to serve, optional)
For the Chocolate Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (and/or rum)
Method
For the Meringue Gelato Cake:
- Line a 450g / 1lb loaf tin with clingfilm, making sure you have enough overhang to cover the top later.
- Whip the cream until thick but still soft.
- Chop the chocolate very finely so that you have a pile of dark splinters, and fold them into the cream, along with the liqueur.
- Now, using brute force, crumble the meringue nests and fold these in, too.
- Pack this mixture into the prepared loaf tin, pressing it down with a spatula as you go, and bring the clingfilm up and over to seal the top, then get out more clingfilm to wrap around the whole tin. Freeze until solid, which should take around 8 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, unwrap the outer layer of plastic wrap, then unpeel the top and use these bits of long overhanging wrap to lift out the ice-cream brick. Unwrap and unmould it onto a board and cut the frozen meringue cake into slabs to serve. I like to zig-zag a little chocolate sauce over each slice, and sprinkle a few raspberries alongside on each plate.
For the Chocolate Sauce:
- Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the tiny bits of chocolate.
- Put over a gentle heat and whisk as the chocolate melts, taking the pan off the heat once the chocolate is almost all melted. If the mixture gets too hot, the chocolate will seize, whereas it will happily continue melting in the warm cream off the heat.
- Add the liqueur, still off the heat, and whisk again to amalgamate the sauce completely. Pour into a jug, whisking every now and again until it cools to just subtly warm.
For the Meringue Gelato Cake:
- Line a 450g / 1lb loaf tin with clingfilm, making sure you have enough overhang to cover the top later.
- Whip the cream until thick but still soft.
- Chop the chocolate very finely so that you have a pile of dark splinters, and fold them into the cream, along with the liqueur.
- Now, using brute force, crumble the meringue cookies and fold these in, too.
- Pack this mixture into the prepared loaf tin, pressing it down with a spatula as you go, and bring the clingfilm up and over to seal the top, then get out more clingfilm to wrap around the whole tin. Freeze until solid, which should take around 8 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, unwrap the outer layer of plastic wrap, then unpeel the top and use these bits of long overhanging wrap to lift out the ice-cream brick. Unwrap and unmould it onto a board and cut the frozen meringue cake into slabs to serve. I like to zig-zag a little chocolate sauce over each slice, and sprinkle a few raspberries alongside on each plate.
For the Chocolate Sauce:
- Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the tiny bits of chocolate.
- Put over a gentle heat and whisk as the chocolate melts, taking the pan off the heat once the chocolate is almost all melted. If the mixture gets too hot, the chocolate will seize, whereas it will happily continue melting in the warm cream off the heat.
- Add the liqueur, still off the heat, and whisk again to amalgamate the sauce completely. Pour into a jug, whisking every now and again until it cools to just subtly warm.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD:
Cake can be made ahead — best if eaten within 1 week but can be kept for up to 1 month in the freezer. Sauce can be made ahead — cool and refrigerate as quickly as possible, will keep in fridge for up to 3 days. Remove the sauce from the fridge 1 hour before serving to allow it to come back to room temperature; if necessary rewarm as directed in the recipe. Sauce can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then rewarm as directed in the recipe.
MAKE AHEAD:
Cake can be made ahead — best if eaten within 1 week but can be kept for up to 1 month in the freezer. Sauce can be made ahead — cool and refrigerate as quickly as possible, will keep in fridge for up to 3 days. Remove the sauce from the fridge 1 hour before serving to allow it to come back to room temperature; if necessary rewarm as directed in the recipe. Sauce can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then rewarm as directed in the recipe.
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Show more commentsThis lovely dessert is one of my secret weapons for entertaining. It comes together in less than 10 minutes, it makes for a beautiful presentation, and people always love it! It is also very versatile and fits comfortably after almost any main dish I can think of. Definitely a recipe to keep in your hip pocket!
Made this on Boxing Day and it was a huge hit m- so easy and you can make it in advance. Made it with nutty meringue shells (can’t get plain ones in this part of Spain) - worked really well
Just did it for my Dad's birthday! Absolutely delicious and so easy and quick to make! I didn't have any coffee liquor, so I put some strong expresso in the chocolate sauce, and it was just fine.
Made this but added some chopped up Maltesers & Crunchie instead of the dark chocolate - Fab!! Also used Bailey's when I'd run out of rum!!! Both are fantastic!
Vanton, I think a hot knife would solve your problem. Briefly soak a metal knife in hot water, wipe it down and slice away. :)
OMG so simple yet so good. I used bailey's and strawberries and it was sooooooooooooo good. If I can make this anyone can. It went down a treat with my guests. TY
I have made this twice and it is just magnificent but I must be doing something wrong as it crumbles when I cut it. Has anyone got any suggestions?
I am a culinary dunce - but this is so simple that even I could impress my dinner guests. Used maraschino cherries instead of fruit and it made it a bit sweet but heavenly none the less.
I made this heavenly dessert this morning to serve this afternoon. As I could only get chocolate meringue my recipe is slightly altered. Also I left out the alcohol since I'm still breast feeding. The result is still amazingly delicious. Thank you Nigella for a fabulously easy, but incredibly yummy dessert!
I've tried this many times now as its a great hit with guests. Must say, although the original is good, it's even better when made with mint chocolate which goes very well with the rum. Strawberries also work well as a substitute to raspberries.
I've made it using a little Pedro Ximenez, and adding some flaked almonds as well as the chocolate. De-lish!
Just made this. I've swapped the rum for whisky as that was all we had. I've put in a little toasted oats so its actually like a cranachan ice cream cake this time. Hope it works out!