Be honest, I had you at chocolate right?. Well that’s understandable, because without chocolate there would be darkness and chaos in the world. Trust me on this one. Layers of coconut macaroon, whipped chocolate and raspberries make this cake a winner and super impressive with so little effort it's actually embarrassing But don't worry, I won't tell you if you don't. Try and use the best quality chocolate you can, the high cocoa content gives the whipped ganache a bittersweet richness, combined with the sweet meringue and zing of the fresh raspberries - it’s just plain awesome.
Chocolate raspberry macaroon cake
(Serves 6-8)
1 cup cream
300g dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 2/3 cups desiccated coconut
Cocoa, for dusting
200g fresh raspberries, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20 x 20cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Bring the cream to a boil, remove from the heat and add the chocolate chunks. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then stir until smooth. Refrigerate until set then whip until fluffy and stiff.
In a medium saucepan, bring 1cm of water to a simmer. Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites in a glass bowl set over the simmering water until soft peak stage. Gradually beat in the sugar until combined. Remove from the heat and beat at high speed until cool.
Fold in the coconut gently until combined. Spread the mixture into the lined baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly, and then turn the macaroon cake onto a clean surface. Trim the edges and cut the cake into two rectangles.
Sandwich the layers together with the whipped chocolate mixture, finishing with a layer of chocolate and finally a dusting of cocoa and a sprinkling of raspberries.
TIP This cake is even better refrigerated overnight and enjoyed the next day.
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