Boccone Dolce
Submitted by pace
Boccone Dolce is a stunning Italian meringue layer cake filled with melted chocolate, clouds of whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Three crisp meringue discs stacked into a showstopping dessert.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
7 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
8 hrsBoccone dolce translates to “sweet mouthful," and that barely scratches the surface.
This Italian showpiece stacks three crisp, bisque-colored meringue layers with a thin slick of melted semi-sweet chocolate, billowy whipped cream, and sliced fresh strawberries between each one.
The outside gets frosted smooth with more whipped cream, then garnished with whole berries and chocolate curls.
After a few hours in the fridge, the meringue softens just enough at the edges to yield to a knife while keeping its crunch at the center. Every bite is a collision of textures: shatteringly crisp, creamy, fruity, and rich.
The sugared strawberries left over from assembly double as a sauce on the side.
Chef Tips
- The meringue layers can be made ahead and frozen, wrapped in several layers of plastic. Pull them out an hour before assembling.
- Go thin on the chocolate coating. Too much and the layers won’t cut cleanly. You want a whisper of bittersweet, not a shell.
- Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least four hours, or overnight. This resting time lets the cream soften the meringue edges for cleaner slicing.
- Use superfine sugar for the meringue. Regular granulated won’t dissolve fully and can leave a gritty texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 deg.
In mixer, beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, vinegar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until meringue is stiff and glossy.
Line baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.
Trace three, eight-inch circles on paper.
Spread meringue evenly and equally over circles.
Bake one hour, until meringue becomes bisque colored.
Then turn off oven, open oven door and let meringues and in oven another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully peel off parchment or waxed paper.
Put cake on racks to dry until thoroughly cool.
Once cooled, meringues may be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
Wrap each meringue in several plastic wrap layers, then stack (gently!) in tupperware container for freezing.
Remove from freezer at least an hour before assembling.
Filling and sauce:
Melt over hot water the chocolate bits and water.
When perfectly smooth, remove from heat and cool, but don’t let harden.
Whip the heavy cream until stiff, gradually add confectioner’s sugar, then vanilla.
Slice two pints of strawberries: one is used between cake layers, the other is sliced, sugared and refrigerated to produce more juice.
The sugared berries are served as a sauce.
Save several whole berries for garnish.
Assembley:
Place a meringe layer on a serving plate, rounded side down.
Spread a very thin coating of chocolate over it.
Too much chocolate will make it impossible to cut cake.
Top chocolate with a layer (about ¾ inch thick) of whipped cream.
Top cream with a layer of sliced berries.
Place a second layer of meringue on top of this, and repeat filling.
Top with final meringue, rounded side up, and frost sides and top smoothly with remaining whipped cream.
Additional cream may be used to pipe a design onto sides and top of cake.
Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
Garnish with several whole strawberries and chocolate curls.
Comments
I made this for the first time and when I went to serve it, there was a liquid around the bottom . How do I avoid this?