Meringue Bone Cake
A spooky cake perfect for Halloween. Moist chocolate cake wrapped in chocolate buttercream all covered in meringue bones.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120mL)
- 1 cup buttermilk (240mL)
- 3 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 1/2 cup strong hot coffee (360mL I use a Moka pot so it's basically espresso)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil (180mL)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (15mL)
- 3 cup all-purpose flour (360g)
- 2 2/3 cup granulated sugar (535g)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (65g)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6g)
- 1 tbsp baking soda (18g)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (5g)
- 1 1/2 lb confectioner's sugar (450g)
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter (375g room temperature)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (60mL)
- 1/4 cup Cocoa powder (30g)
- 1 tsp vanilla (5mL optional)
- 1 tsp espresso (5mL optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt (1g)
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate (45g)
- 3/4 cup chocolate (135g semi-sweet )
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (80g)
- 3 egg whites (large )
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (4g)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (3mL)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- 1
For the Meringue:
- 2
Preheat oven to 215 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 3
In a very clean bowl, whisk egg whites with a wire whisk on medium low. (I wiped the inside of my bowl with a lemon.) Add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt
- 4
When your egg whites are foamy, begin to beat on medium, then gradually add sugar. Add remaining sugar when whites reach a "soft-peak" stage. Increase speed to medium-high, until "firm-peaks" appear.
- 5
Cut off the edge of a piping bag, fill with meringue. On the parchment, piping bone-like shapes. Bake for about 60 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to crack the oven open open and allow to cool in the oven for another hour.
- 6
For the Cake:
- 7
Butter and flour three 8-inch cake pans. I highly recommend using cake strips for a more even bake.
- 8
Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- 9
Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
- 10
Add the wet ingredients the dry ingredients.
- 11
Whisk to combine then mix on level 2 for two minutes.
- 12
Distribute batter evenly to the three pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I recommend rotating the pans halfway through the bake.
- 13
Allow time to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.
- 14
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- 15
In a small bowl combine the semi-sweet chocolate with 2 tbs of cream then microwave for 40 secs on half power. Stir to combine then set aside.
- 16
Whip the butter, salt, and cocoa powder for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment.
- 17
Scrape the bowl down and beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.
- 18
Add the cream.
- 19
You may add the optional vanilla and espresso at this step.
- 20
Mix until you have a fluffy, even consistency.
- 21
Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate ganache.
- 22
For the Ganache:
- 23
Melt the chocolate and cream in a microwave for a few 30 second bursts at 50% power.
- 24
Transfer to a piping bag with and cut the tip off.
- 25
For the Assembly:
- 26
Spread chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache between each layer.
- 27
Spread the buttercream on the outside of the cake. Smooth it.
- 28
Add a smooth coat of chocolate buttercream to the surface of the cake.
- 29
Use meringue bones to decorate outside layer.