hazelnut meringue and chocolate cake

meringa di nocciole e cioccolato

To achieve the best-textured mousse for this cake make it the day before.

for 10

meringue

150 g shelled hazelnuts, lightly roasted, skins rubbed off (see here)

olive oil and butter for greasing the trays

5 large, organic free-range egg whites

225 g caster sugar

110 g unsalted butter, melted

70 g plain flour

chocolate mousse

450 g bitter-sweet chocolate, at least 70% cocoa butter

2 tablespoons dry instant coffee dissolved in 80 ml boiling water

6 large, organic free-range eggs, separated

a pinch of Maldon salt

to serve

100 ml Vecchio Romagna brandy

200 g mascarpone, lightly whipped

For the chocolate mousse, melt the chocolate in a bowl with the coffee over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the water touch the bowl. Remove when the chocolate becomes liquid.

Beat the egg yolks at high speed in an electric mixer until pale, about 3–4 minutes. Reduce the speed and gradually add the melted chocolate mixture. Stop as soon as the two are amalgamated. Separately beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt to soft peaks.

Take a large spoonful of egg white and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture, then fold a further spoonful in and combine carefully. Finally fold the chocolate back into the remaining egg whites until no white shows. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight.

To make the meringue, preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/Gas ½. Rub olive oil over three flat oven trays. Line each tray with parchment paper. Liberally butter the parchment paper.

Put the hazelnuts into a food processor and pulse-chop to a medium fine flour. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with half the sugar until stiff, then add the hazelnut flour and the remaining sugar. Beat briefly just to combine. Fold in the melted butter. Finally sieve the flour into the bowl and fold in carefully.

Spoon the mixture on to the three trays and spread it out flat, each the same shape and diameter, but as thin as you can. The layers should be 1 cm thick at most. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until set and almost crisp. Immediately peel off the paper whilst the meringues are still hot. Place on wire racks to cool.

To assemble the cake, choose a large flat cake plate. Divide the chocolate mousse mixture into two. Place the first meringue layer on the plate, shake over half of the brandy and let it soak in briefly. Cover with a thick layer of the chocolate mousse. Place the second meringue on top, sprinkle with the remaining brandy and spread with the remaining mousse mixture. Sit the last meringue on top, and cover with the mascarpone.