Chocolate Mousse Meringue Layer Cake serves 12

To make this cake you will need a dessert ring, which is a 2 ½ inch tall ring, 8 inches in diameter with no bottom.  You will also need a pastry bag with a ¼ inch round tip and a metal flat blade spatula.  It is worth investing in these items as you will use them again. 

Meringue layers

2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
4 egg whites
2/3 sugar
 

Mousse

1/4 cup whipping cream (Rich Whip)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 egg yolks
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate1 1/2 cups whipping cream

To bake the meringues:  Preheat oven to 230°F.  Tear off a piece of parchment paper the size of your largest cookie sheet.  Take your 8 X 2 ½ inch ring and trace 3 circles on your parchment paper; the circles may touch each other or even overlap because the meringue circles will be smaller than the ring.  Turn the paper over and place on your cookie sheet. 

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together into a bowl.  Place your egg whites into the bowl of your mixer and beat until they start to stiffen.  Add the granulated sugar gradually while the machine is on low and then beat another minute until the whites are stiff.  Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa a second time into the bowl with the egg whites.  Turn your machine on low and mix beat until just combined. 

Take a pastry bag with a large round tip, about ¼ inch, and fill the bag with the meringue batter.  Starting from the center of the circles on your parchment, squeeze out spirals until your circle is about ½ an inch smaller than the circle.  Do not worry if your circles are not perfect or you even use the back of a spoon to smooth over the “holes”.  If you do not have a pastry bag, use a silicone spatula to shape 3 circles, about ½ inch high of meringue batter. 

After you have made 3 circles of meringue batter on your parchment, you may use any leftover batter to make any shapes you like to decorate your cake such as Hershey’s kisses, letters, lines or hearts.  Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours.  Turn off the oven and let meringues remain in the oven another 2 hours so they can dry out.  Let cool.

To make the moussse:  Melt chocolate in a double boiler (in a bowl over pot of water) until smooth.  While chocolate is melting, place the cream and sugar in a small pot and heat over medium flame until the sugar melts and cream starts to boil stirring often.  Turn off the heat as soon as the cream boils slightly.   Remove chocolate from heat and whisk in the cream/sugar mixture until smooth.    Add the egg yolks and whisk well. 

Place cold whipping cream into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk until the cream is whipped.  Watch carefully and stop mixing when you see the top of the whipped cream look like ribbons or swirls.  Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and mix until well blended. 

To assemble the cake:  Take a piece of cardboard and trace the inside of your ring.  Cut out the circle.  Cover another cookie sheet with parchment, place the ring on top and place the cardboard circle into the ring.  Place a spoonful of the mousse onto the cardboard to help glue the meringue circle.  Place your first meringue circle into the ring.  Pour a third of the mousse into the ring to cover the meringue.  Make sure you get some mousse between the meringue and the ring on the sides.  Add the second meringue circle and another 1/3 of the mousse.  Repeat with the last circle and more mousse and then use a flat blade metal spatula to smooth the top.  Place into the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from the freezer and lift up the ring and place on top of a can of tomatoes or vegetables; the larger sizes work best.  Place boiling water into a small bowl and take a towel or paper towel dip into the hot water and then rub around the outside of the ring; this will help release the ring from the mousse.  Go around the entire ring with the hot water.  Take your hands and gently slide the ring off the cake.  Place the cake back on your parchment and then decorate with the extra meringues you made or you can melt some chocolate chips and drizzle the top of the cake.  I have also used a potato peeler to shave chocolate circles and then pressed those into the side of the cake.  I like to store the cake in the freezer and then remove 30 minutes before serving.

PASSOVER LEMON LAYER CAKE

SPONGE CAKE

4 eggs separated                              
3 tablespoons water
1/8 cup lemon juice                         
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cake meal
1/3 cup potato starch
1 1/4 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Trace the bottom of a 9-inch round baking pan onto a piece of parchment and cut out the circle.  Grease the 9 inch round baking pan, place the parchment circle on top and then grease again. Beat egg yolks with water, lemon juice and sugar.  Add cake meal, potato starch and lemon rind and beat until combined.  Beat egg whites with salt until stiff.  Gently fold whites into batter and then pour into pan.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Cool.  Remove from pan and wrap in plastic.  Chill in freezer for one hour.   Slice into three even pieces. 

LEMON CREAM

3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 1/2 tablespoons margarine

In a double boiler, combine the eggs, yolks and sugar.  Add the lemon juice and zest, stirring occasionally until a think mixture is formed.  This takes approximately 25 minutes. Be patient and do not stir too much.  If the water in the double boiler boils too fast, turn down the heat.  Remove bowl from the heat and whisk in the  margarine in small pieces.  Cool slightly and then cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

1 1/4 cup parve whipping cream

Cut a circle of cardboard the size of the cake slices.  Whip cream until stiff.  Place a little cream on the cardboard circle and attach one slice of cake.  Spread 1/3 lemon cream on cake.  Add second piece of cake and another 1/3 of lemon cream.  Mix the remainder of the lemon cream with the whipped cream.  Spread the cream on the top and sides of the cake.  Freeze 15 minutes.  Spread some more cream to even the sides and top and freeze another 5 minutes.  Store in the fridge until serving.  Decorate with raspberries, strawberries or lemon slices.