Difficulty: Average
Make Ahead
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Cake
- 6 egg whites
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 6 ounces ground nuts (pecans or walnuts)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Filling and Frosting
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 pint whipping cream
- bitter chocolate for garnish
Instructions:
- Put egg whites in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Take two 8″ cake pans and cut waxed paper to fit bottoms.
- Grease and flour pans, then put in waxed paper, and grease and flour paper.
- Beat egg whites until stiff.
- Add sugar and nuts all at once, folding in with a metal spoon.
- Add vinegar and vanilla, then spoon into pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until crusty.
- Quickly remove from pans, remove waxed paper, and cool on wire rack. This part may be done a few days ahead and kept in an airtight container.
- Melt chocolate.
- While cooling, whip cream until stiff.
- Mix half the chocolate with half the cream, and use this for the filling between the meringues.
- Frost top with remaining whipped cream, then dip a spatula in the chocolate and make swirls in cream, using up all the chocolate.
- Grate bitter chocolate over top and refrigerate until served.