cherry, almond & mascarpone dacquoise
layers of roasted almond meringue, mascarpone cream, and fresh cherries
it’s like a tiramisu but also not at all like a tiramisu
barely sweetened mascarpone cream, softened roasted almond meringue layers (gf!), and fresh diced cherries make for a bit of a show-off dessert that’s tiramisu-adjacent
it feels a little lighter and more summer appropriate, and is easily riffed on by switching out the cherries for other summer fruits - mango, plum, kiwi, boysenberries, or passionfruit would all be amazing in this!
serves about 8-10
ingredients
roasted almond meringue
100g almonds
3 egg whites
40g caster sugar
100g powdered sugar
pinch salt
mascarpone cream
500g mascarpone, room temperature
50g powdered sugar
300mL cream
1 tsp gelatine powder
juice of half a lemon
pinch salt
assembly
500g cherries
method
roasted almond meringue
preheat the oven to 180°C
line a large baking tray with baking paper
trace the base dimensions of your loaf tin onto the baking paper - you’ll be aiming to get four layers of meringue for assembly
spread the almonds (100g) on a baking tray and toast until golden and fragrant (about 10 minutes)
set aside to cool while you whip the egg whites (3) to soft peaks in a medium bowl
add the caster sugar (40g) a spoonful at a time, whipping in between additions, until the egg whites are at stiff peaks
once the almonds have cooled, blend them to a fine crumb
sift together the blended almonds, powdered sugar (100g), and a generous pinch of salt in a large bowl
spoon in one third of the egg whites, and gently fold until combined
repeat with the remaining egg whites, folding until there are no streaks in the batter
spread the batter on the prepared baking tray to the dimensions you traced earlier
bake for 20-25 minutes until dry to the touch
score lines onto the meringue to help with cutting it into four layers
set aside to cool completely
once cooled, cut into four rectangles the dimensions of your loaf tin (some of the layers can be made of offcuts, arranged like puzzle pieces if needed!)
mascarpone cream
fold together the mascarpone (500g) and powdered sugar (50g) in a bowl
in another bowl, whip the cream (300mL) to stiff peaks
sprinkle the gelatine powder (1 tsp) over 2 tbsp of water and let hydrate for a few minutes
microwave in 10 second intervals until the gelatine has fully dissolved then let cool
add the whipped cream and cooled gelatine to the mascarpone sugar mixture and fold until just combined
squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and add a pinch of salt, mixing just to incorporate
transfer to a piping bag for assembly
assembly
select the four best looking cherries and set aside to decorate
pit and finely dice the remaining cherries
line a loaf tin with plastic wrap
place the first almond meringue layer in the base of your lined loaf tin
spread a layer (about 1cm thick) of mascarpone cream over the almond meringue layer
pipe a border around the edge of the cream, then sprinkle over a third of the diced cherries
spread another layer of mascarpone cream on the bottom of the next almond meringue piece, and press onto the cherries (this is to keep the cherry juices from making the almond meringue layers too soggy)
repeat with the remaining layers
transfer to the fridge to set for at least two hours
once set, carefully invert the cake onto a serving board
decoratively spread the remaining mascarpone cream over the top and sides of the cake, covering up any bald patches
pipe four cream mounds along the length of the cake
nestle your reserved cherries on top
return to the fridge to set completely, at least another two hours or overnight
serve chilled from the fridge and make sure you clean your knife between each cut to best see the layers!
