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Chocolate sponge and meringue layer cake


Serves: 8-10
timePrep time: 20 mins
timeTotal time:
Chocolate sponge and meringue layer cake
Recipe photograph by Mowie Kay

Chocolate sponge and meringue layer cake


Serves: 8-10
timePrep time: 20 mins
timeTotal time:

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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
442Kcal
Fat
24gr
Saturates
14gr
Carbs
52gr
Sugars
39gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
0.5gr

Debbie Major

Debbie Major

Cook, writer and food stylist, Debbie's reputation for foolproof, delicious recipes is second to none. She is renowned for her dedication to seasonal home cooking and her love of all things rustic and authentic. Simplicity over cheffy is her motto!
See more of Debbie Major’s recipes
Debbie Major

Debbie Major

Cook, writer and food stylist, Debbie's reputation for foolproof, delicious recipes is second to none. She is renowned for her dedication to seasonal home cooking and her love of all things rustic and authentic. Simplicity over cheffy is her motto!
See more of Debbie Major’s recipes

Ingredients

For the sponge:
  • 175g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 225ml freshly made coffee (from a cafetière)
  • 100g very soft butter
  • 275g caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
For the meringue topping:
  • 3 medium egg whites
  • 100g caster sugar
For the cream:
  • 300ml whipping cream
  • 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
  • icing sugar and cocoa powder, for dusting

Step by step

Get ahead
Make the cakes up to a few hours ahead.
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Grease and base-line two 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins (about 5-6cm deep) with baking paper.
  2. Sift the flour and baking powder together with a pinch of salt. Mix the cocoa powder with the coffee into a paste and leave to cool.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl for 3 minutes. Because of the high proportion of sugar it won't go pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour with the second and third egg, to stop the mixture from curdling. Mix in the cocoa mixture, then gently fold in the rest of the flour. Divide the mixture between the two tins.
  4. In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites into just stiff peaks, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Carefully spread half of the meringue mixture over the top of each cake, leaving a 2.5cm border free around the edge of the tin. This will give the meringue room to expand. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of one cake comes away clean. Remove and leave to cool in the tins.
  5. Carefully turn out the cakes, taking care not to break the meringue. Place one cake, meringue-side up onto a serving plate. Whip the cream with the coffee mixture into soft peaks and spread half of it over the cake. Top with the other cake, then spoon over the remaining whipped cream, dust with the icing sugar, then lightly with cocoa powder. Cut into slices to serve.

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