Chocolate meringue cake with strawberries and raspberries

METHOD

How to make it

1. 01

   STEP 1

   Done

   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cover a baking tin with kitchen paper and place a plate of about 10-12 cm in diameter on its head on the baking paper so you can draw a circle with a pencil. You'll all get the same size meringues. In total I baked 4 of 12cm diameter.

2. 02

   STEP 2

   Done

   Beat the proteins with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the mixture just gets soft peaks. Then add the icing sugar little by little and knock on until the protein forms stiff peaks. Be careful not to keep knocking too long, because then you can start again with new protein.

3. 03

   STEP 3

   Done

   Strain the cocoa powder above the stiff protein and scoop it lightly with the balsamic vinegar. Then divide the protein mixture over your 4 rounds on the baking paper. It's nice if your meringues have some peaks on top. For the rustic effect, so to speak. Although you won't see it again later, so don't worry about it.

4. 04

   STEP 4

   Done

   Put your baking tin in the oven and turn the temperature back to 140 degrees. Bake the meringues in about 60-75 minutes. Do not open the oven as you bake them, but look through the window occasionally. If you see the meringue light bursting at the top, they're cooked. Remove the meringues from the oven and let them cool completely. I had to bake the 4 meringues in 2 batches, because my oven wasn't big enough.

5. 05

   STEP 5

   Done

   And now the tricky part of the whole story: Disconnect the meringues from the baking paper. You got to do this with a lot of policy, or your meringues will break all over the place. Be nice and take your time, and you'll be fine. Another trick: if you have a plastic/rubber spatula, slide it very quietly under the meringue. Then turn the spatula (again quietly) around under the meringue and then (usually) remove it from the baking paper without too much breaking.

6. 06

   STEP 6

   Done

   Beat the whipped cream with the sugar and set up, together with a cup of raspberries and strawberries. About 3/4 of the fruit goes between the layers and the last quarter comes on top. Time to build the layers. At the bottom you start with a meringue, then a low whipped cream and then a low fruit. You repeat this until you finish with a pile of fruit on top. Grate here generously some pure chocolate over and garnish with cocoa powder (do this with a fine sieve so it is nicely distributed).

7. 07

   STEP 7

   Done

   Serve equally to your guests and enjoy!