100 g icing sugar
50 g cocoa powder
5 egg whites
115 g castor sugar
300 ml cream
200 g chocolate pieces
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder for dusting
Preheat oven to gas mark 2/150° C. Heavily grease 3 round 10 inch pans for baking. Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Beat the egg whites till soft peaks form adding 1 tbsp castor sugar half way through. When the egg whites are firm add 2½ tbsp of castor sugar and beat. Fold in the icing sugar and cocoa. Spread evenly on 3 pans and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to gas mark and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pans on wire rack before removing from pans. Whip the cream with remaining (1 tbsp) castor sugar and small chocolate pieces. Spread on the meringue and sandwich them together. Dust the top with cocoa powder and serve.
Chef’s tip: The meringue can be made a day before and stored in an airtight container. The cream can be put in the meringue layers and top upto 4 hours before serving and refrigerated. Dust with cocoa powder just before serving.