This is the cake that was the hit at the potluck. It is a chocolate coconut meringue cake. The coconut is so light it is not very noticeable so people who like me do not really like coconut like this cake. The other big selling point is that this cake is gluten free, nut free, seed free, soy free, and dairy free. Yes, that is how food sensitive the people I work with have gotten.
This cake takes time. An electric mixer is nice but it can be done by hand and I have done it by hand before I blew my shoulders out the last time. This time, I switched early on to the electric whisk because my shoulders were getting very tired.
I also froze the cake for transport and keeping in the office. I brought it out at the beginning of the meal and most people really seemed to like the cold. Up to you on this one.
It is lovely.
chocolate coconut meringue cake
6 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar. I used a Mexican sugar this time that is less processed and a bit of a brown sugar taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
One recipe whipped coconut cream
One recipe black onyx fudge sauce
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw four six inch circles on the two sheets of parchment paper.
Beat egg whites, vanilla, and salt together until foamy. Add sugar, slowly, and continue beating until it reaches glossy, stiff peaks. Using the back of a large spoon, spread an even layer of meringue in a six inch circle on the baking sheets, four times. The circle will actually spread as they bake so the finished cake will be closer to seven inches across.
Bake for approximately 2 1/2 hours or until dry and crisp, rotating pans every 20 minutes, and moving them up and down in the oven. After the 2 1/2 hours of baking, leave the meringues in the turned-off oven for another 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and leave on tray in cool, dry area, to cool and you are ready to use.
Make the whipped coconut cream and fudge sauce.
On a large plate, place the first meringue. Spread a quarter of the whipped coconut cream on top. Drizzle an even layer of fudge sauce on top of it. Put in the freezer for a bit to firm if your kitchen is warm.
Repeat with every meringue circle. I finished the cake with whipped coconut cream and fudge sauce on top. The fudge sauce dripped out but no one seemed to mind but a large plate is a must.
Put in the freezer. Once the fudge sauce is set, cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer until about twenty minutes before serving.
There are no elegant pictures of this from the potluck. Our utensils were blunt and plastic. It was destroyed but thoroughly enjoyed. I brought my dish home and it was licked clean here before washing.
It is truly lovely.