Chocolate & Cherry Meringue Stack Cake {GF}

Chocolate & Cherry Meringue Cake // Top with Cinnamon

Chocolate & Cherry Meringue Cake // Top with Cinnamon

I made this cake for a roundup that Saveur asked me to contribute to for their 20th birthday! I figured that I might as well use it to celebrate my 3rd bloggaversary too as it’s suitably celebration-y and this way I can also give you the recipe! It’s not too difficult to make because it’s just meringue disks stacked up with ganache, whipped cream and cherries but you do have to have the oven on for over an hour (at a low temp) to dry out the disks sufficiently. So if you’re boycotting the oven for the time being (thanks July heatwave 😐 ), you’ll probs want to avoid making this cake right now and just look at the pictures instead.

Chocolate & Cherry Meringue Cake // Top with Cinnamon

  Notes:

To make the top meringue layer I filled a wide, plain tipped piping bag with the meringue mixture and piped little blobs in concentric circles.

– There are two possible ways of serving this cake: You can either attack it with a sharp knife and a spoon, serving it in a messy pavlova style OR freeze the cake for an hour and then slice neatly with a sharp knife which is what I did for the pics of the slices (note that freezing changes the texture of the cherries though)

Chocolate & Cherry Meringue Stack Cake {gluten-free}

5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 5 egg whites
  • 10 oz superfine sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 16 oz cherries , , halved and pitted
  • 7 oz bittersweet chocolate , , plus extra for grating

Instructions

  • Whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer until you get soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar whilst you continue to beat the egg whites until the mixture is glossy and you get stiff peaks. If the mixture is rubbed between your fingers there should be no sugar crystals - if the mixture still feels gritty keep beating it until smooth, then finally beat in the vanilla extract.
  • Spread the mixture out on two lined cookie sheets to form four, 6-inch diameter disks (see notes). Bake for one and a half hours in an oven preheated to 250 F (120 C) then switch the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven for a further hour.
  • Melt the chocolate and stir in 1/4 cup of the cream.
  • Whisk the rest of the cream until just thickened.
  • To assemble: take one meringue disk and spread a quarter of the chocolate mixture over it. Spread a quarter of the cream over this and then scatter over the cherries. Top with the next meringue stack and repeat the chocolate, cream and cherry layering until you've stacked up all the meringues. Grate a little extra chocolate over the cake for a finishing touch.
  • Serve immediately or freeze for an hour before slicing for a cleaner cut (see notes).
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it went! Mention @izyhossack or tag #topwithcinnamon!

88 thoughts on “Chocolate & Cherry Meringue Stack Cake {GF}”

  1. Izy!!! Congrats on you bloggaversary ! What you do is amazing)
    I am a beginner in blogging, my blog is only 1 month old. But I hope one day to become as successful as you..!

  2. Happy birthday to your sweet blog Izy! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and for all your hard work. This meringue cake looks amazing!!
    PS I feel you on the single plates thing, my boyfriend is on the verge of breaking each one so we have more space to actually live in our apartment 🙂
    xoxo

  3. This cake is incredible Izy!!! I am so in love with this–the pictures are absolutely stunning. The chocolate ganache looks like it is JUST about to drip off the sides too! Wow.

    Congratulations on year #3! You’ve achieved so much and you are a constant source of inspiration! xo

  4. happy blog birthday izy!! i’ve been SO in love with this cake ever since i saw it on Saveur!! and now i can make it! yay!!

  5. Happy anniversary! I had to laugh when you said you waited a few weeks before telling any of your family about your blog. I actually have been blogging for over a year and just told my mom about it. I haven’t told any friends or coworkers yet. I’m just not ready to open my website up to scrutiny from people I know. But, the time is coming soon. I can feel it. And I’m scared!

  6. This is beyond amazing! Congrats on three years! It’s been so fun being along for the ride 🙂

  7. Congrats Izy!!! Now I want to write an email to myself… That is a really cool idea!! You should do it and send it 3 years later!
    Love the cake!!! The cross section of the cake looks delightful!

  8. I’m a new fan but since the first post which I’ve read, I’m constantly impressed. Especially with gifs!

  9. happy 3 years anniversary.. and what a cake to celebrate with. this has to be the BEST meringue cake i have ever seen, i am so craving a slice. love it!

  10. Happy, happy Birthday dear Top with Cinnamon and huuuge congrats to you Izy!! Yours was one of the first blogs that got me hooked into this food blog thing ’bout two years back. The cake seems like the perfect way to celebrate and btw it may sound unbelievable but I went carefull with my blog as well and only a few people knew it at first and most still don’t. I’m unargueably a quite crazy person, but this whole wood and plate collecting thing might just be to much to otake so I’ll better keep it to myself you know 😉 anyways, congrats again and keep doing your thing girl ’cause it’s awesome and you’ve got it down – no need to hide! ….Party time!! 🙂

  11. Happy Blogiversary, Top with Cinnamon! You’re writing and recipes are an inspiration to us other fellow food bloggers out there. Thank you for being awesome! And making that awesome cake.

  12. The most beautiful cake! I will have to try – love that its gluten free too. And cherries! You can never go wrong with cherries. Congrats on your anniversary!

  13. Holy balls that cake looks good girl!!! I love it!The photography is stellar and the cherries are lookin mighty fine! In fact….. there. I just went and got a mini bowl of bourbon soaked ones to munch on as I type this. Delish.

    PS. Congrats on 3 years!!!!! It’s a huge amount of work to maintain a food blog and you do it with style ! I know what you mean about starting out – I was so awkward to begin with! When I look back at my pictures and recipes from the first year, I shudder. I always wonder if I should remove them (4 years later) but I can never decide. Regardless, I’m stoked for you. Happy bloggy birthday!

  14. So freaking happy for you! This cake looks like the perfect way to celebrate.

  15. Happy Birthday! Your blog is a toddler (the cutest stage, in my opinion!). This cake is stunning, and I love what you did with the top layer aesthetically.

  16. Happy birthday to your blog! I’ve only been reading for the past year but it just gets better and better with each post 🙂 Can’t wait to see what another year brings xx

  17. I can not wait to see what the future has installed for you and your food blog. Simply stunning and Happy B’day! Keep rocking it Izy!

  18. Happy mofoing birthday, Top with Cinnamon! Here’s to a million more years of crushing it, Miss Izy.

  19. Hmm… Keeping blog secret? That would of been a good idea! My blog was slow to start off- my Mom was not to enthralled with the idea! Your cake looks so pretty.

  20. Happy birthday TWC!!! You just keep on doing what you’re doing, because we love it 🙂 Congrats Izy!

  21. HAPPY THIRD, YOU! I just posted my (2nd) blogiversary post a few days ago because I uh, might’ve missed mine on July 7th. Whoops. But I’m glad you remembered because this cake looks so fab 😀 I just need you to come over and we can stick our forks into it together. I can’t believe what a journey it’s been for you and am eternally glad we found each other. Wishing you many more awesome moments and times and years on the stellar blog to come, Izy!

  22. Congratulations! Your blog is so beautiful and you really deserved the Saveur food blog awards. I just wander what kind of recipe plug in you use..?
    xoxo Thea

  23. This cake looks so delicious! My son is gluten intolerant and I find it quite difficult to find a good recipe for cakes. He loves chocolate and meringue, so I will definitely give it a try. Congratulations to the three years! Keep going:)

  24. Happy Blog Birthday!!! (And we need to go for another epic brunch/ mojito session again soon, whenever I’m next at a loose end between meetings in the big smoke!)

  25. Happy birthday Izy!! What an incredible journey it’s been the last 3 years. I see the cover for your book is up on Amazon now…exciting! Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy x

  26. Best cross section shot of meringue ever. Now I really want to try the freezing thing to get a neat slice.

  27. What a gorgeous cake and such a cool idea!! Happy anniversary!! I was really shy to start to tell people about having a blog – but then I was like, if my friends and family don’t read it, then who will? I have to start somewhere. .congrats!!!

  28. Yep, the single plate, single napkin, single place mat — all signs of a food blogger! 🙂 Congrats on your blog anniversary and on the Saveur Editor’s Choice award. Well deserved!!!

  29. This cake is fantastic, I’ve been searching for something to make with my favorite seasonal fruit! Congrats on 3 years of successful blogging!

  30. The internet is truly a better place with TWC, Izy. Thank you for all that you do..you’re such a source of inspiration. Cheers from California!!

  31. congratulations on three years! this cake looks like the perfect delicious way to celebrate!

  32. Congrats Izy! I’ve felt honored to have followed your blogging journey almost from the beginning! I totally feel you on feeling awkward looking at old posts (I occasionally have the temptation to pop back there and clean them up…but never have the nerve to). #bloggerproblems The cake looks delicious!
    Lots of love,
    Erica

  33. CONGRATS on 3 years of awesome blogging, Izy! Your space is such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your love for food with us. [Side note: It took me almost half a year (!!) before I told my family I had a blog…and a few week later I was nominated for the Saveur BFBA. Oh man, it would have been so much more awkward to tell her after that. Like ‘Mom, I got invited to Vegas cause I’ve been doing this food blogging thing for a while’ ;)]

  34. Congratulations on the 3 year mark Izy and I must say this Meringue Stack Cake looks amazing. Looking forward to your cookbook!

  35. Congratulations! You’ve been doing a really good job for 3 years 🙂 And this meringue cake – gorgeous!!!

  36. Happy Blog Birthday Izy!!! Congratulations on achieving so much over the last three years. It’s an incredible achievement! The meringue stack looks incred! Can you imagine the sugar-rush?

    Also, it would be pretty spectacular if you managed to keep this highly successful online space a secret from the family for so long!

    Katie <3

  37. Congratulations on three years (and two days!) of beautiful blogging, Izy! Your work is so inspiring and you must be so proud of everything that you have created in this space… Here’s to three more years of gorgeous posts and decadent cakes (like this one!)… Xx

  38. This is a delayed congrats, but sincere nonetheless! Beauteous as always Izzy girl, please keep baking forever and ever <3

  39. This is a very very pretty cake! its sooo beautifully created and looks soo fab! do you wear protection gloves when you prep your ingredients or you just do it with your bare hands?

  40. There is only one word for this “perfection”, amazing preparation and picturesque dessert..:) thank you for sharing..:)

  41. Made this today with fresh raspberries, for my son’s 19th birthday cake. It’s not as pretty as it could have been, as my hands are both really bad with carpal tunnel syndrome but boy oh boy, it sure tasted good!!! Carolyn

  42. So much congratulations for being such a badass in the blog world! You inspire me – I’ve been working steadily on my blog and am can only hope to one day make as big of an impact as you 🙂

  43. congrats on your blog! i am dying to make this cake for my best friends birthday but we live in the rockies and i was wondering if i should follow different directions for high altitude. Thanks!

  44. I saw this recipe shared on Only Taste Matters, and now I just have to pin it. It looks incredible! 😀

  45. 5 stars
    I made this for a teenage outdoor party. It is covid so it was for only 4 teens and 2 parents. There was some leftover but apparently my adult daughter, one of the parents, ate the leftovers all the next day. Rave reviews from everyone. I reduced the sugar and the cherries. There was a suggestion that we could have added more cream to the chocolate as they both felt it was too thick. Thanks. It was a perfect cake for the occasion.

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