I have been meaning to post this Chocolate Meringue Cake Recipe (Piano Version) for a while and it finally made it on the blog! I've made this cake some time ago and presented it as a piano cake for my daughter’s birthday who is a piano player.
I've made it several times since then and kept promising that I will post the recipe one day. It is much easier to make it without pauses for photos, but I’ve made it again, just for you folks! Thank you for all your patience who requested this recipe and were waiting for it.
There are no words to describe this amazing creation. This cake is
... absolutely incredible! Crunchy meringue layer, super soft chocolate sponge cake, delicious and light caramel cream, and the chocolate ganache all in one bite. Your mouth will rejoice! Such a wonderful combination.
Every bite melts in your mouth and makes you smile. All you need is a delicious cup of Latte. I’m presenting it again in the familiar piano version as many of you have seen it, but of course, you may decorate it in any way you prefer. Enjoy!
Meringue Ingredients
6 - egg whites (from 6 large eggs - room temperature)
2 cups (400 g) – Baker's Sugar
Batter Ingredients
6 large – eggs (room temperature)
1 cup (200 g) – organic sugar
¾ cup (90 g) – organic flour
¼ cup (25 g) - cocoa
Cream Ingredients
5 cups (1180 ml) – heavy cream
½ can (165 g) – Dulce de Leche
Meringue Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 275 F (135 C). Prepare parchment paper by outlining the bottom of the 13 X 9.5 pan with a pencil.
2. Beat egg whites and baker's sugar together on high for 15 minutes.
3. Turn the marked side of the parchment paper down. Fill a piping bag with meringue cream and pipe out a sheet cake size spread within the marking, ½ inches away from the marked line (the meringue will expand out about half an inch), and level it out the sides and the top using an angled spatula.
4. Using a baking sheet, transfer, and slide the parchment with meringue onto an oven rack.
5. Bake the meringue in a preheated to 275 F (135 C) oven for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 220 F (104 C) and bake additional 4 hours. After the meringue is done baking, turn the oven off and let it cool completely in the oven. Very important step; removing it will make lots of cracks from the sudden temperature change. (Tip: I usually make the meringue layer the night before if I am planning to make this cake the next day.)
Batter Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Measure out flour, cocoa, and sift through a fine strainer into a small bowl. Combine well with a hand whisk, and set aside until ready for use.
2. Beat eggs and sugar on high for 10 minutes. While the eggs are beating, grease pans with butter and line them with parchment paper. Add flour and cocoa mixture in two additions using a hand whisk. Carefully mix in the flour without deflating too many air bubbles.
3. Split the batter between 2 13 X 9.5 pans evenly. Using an angled spatula level them it out. Bake cake sponges for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Once removed from pans let the cake sponges cool completely. (Tip: For easier transferring, do not remove them from the parchment paper.)
Cream Instructions
Chill the mixer bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes (this will speed up the mixing process). Pour 5 cups of heavy cream into the chilled mixer bowl. Beat for 2 minutes or until it becomes pretty thick. Add ½ can Dulce de Leche and beat again for 15 seconds. Scrape the cream down off the sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat again for 15 seconds. (Reminder: The beating time will depend on the strength of the mixer you use. Do not overbeat the cream.)
Assembling Instructions
1. Remove one rectangular sponge cake off the parchment paper and place it onto a cake platter. Add and evenly spread out 3 cups of cream. Place the meringue layer on top of the cream.
2. Spread out another 3 cups of cream onto the second rectangular sponge cake (on the side) and even it out. Holding by the sides of the parchment paper flip the sponge cake with cream down, so the cream is underneath, and place it over the meringue layer. Then peel off the parchment paper from the cake sponge.
3. Fill a piping bag with 2 cups of cream and refrigerate until ready to use. Use the rest of the cream to coat the sides. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes or so while you make and cool the ganache to warm.
Decorating the Cake Instructions
Make the Chocolate Ganache using this recipe. Allow the ganache to cool to a warm temperature before decorating the cake. (Note: If the ganache is too hot it will melt the cream and slide off the cake.)
Pipe the cream around the bottom border of the cake. Pour ⅓ of the cooled ganache into a Ziploc bag. First, decorate the sides in a drip design. Then pour the rest of the ganache over the top of the cake. Using an angled spatula spread it out evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Place white Kit-Kat chocolate bars on top of the cake and trim milk chocolate Kit-Kat chocolate bars and place them on the white towards one end of the white chocolate to create the piano look. Pipe any design you like to cover the trimmed chocolate edges. Refrigerate for about 6 hours before serving.
Recipe Card
Chocolate Meringue Cake Recipe (Piano Version)
Ingredients
- 6 - egg whites room temperature (from 6 large eggs)
- 2 cups (400 g) – baker’s sugar
Batter Ingredients
- 6 large – eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) – organic sugar
- ¾ cup (90 g) – organic flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) – cocoa
Cream Ingredients
- 5 cups (1180 ml) – heavy cream
- ½ can (165 g) – Dulce de Leche
- White and milk chocolate Kit-Kat chocolates
Instructions
Meringue Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 F (135 C).Prepare parchment paper by outlining the bottom of the pan with a pencil.
- Beat egg whites and baker's sugar together on high for 15 minutes.
- Turn the marked side of the parchment paper down. Fill a piping bag with meringue cream and pipe out a sheet cake size spread within the marking, ½ inches away from the marked line (the meringue will expand out about half an inch) and level it out the sides and the top using an angled spatula.
- Using a baking sheet, transfer and slide the parchment with meringue onto an oven rack.
- Bake the meringue in preheated oven to 275 F (135 C) for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 220 F (104 C) and bake additional 4 hours. After the meringue is done baking, turn the oven off and let it cool completely in the oven. Very important step; removing it will make lots of cracks from the sudden temperature change. (Tip: I usually make the meringue layer the night before if I am planning to make this cake the next day.)
Batter Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Measure out flour, cocoa and sift through a fine strainer into a small bowl. Combine well with a hand whisk, and set aside until ready for use.
- Beat eggs and sugar on high for 10 minutes. While the eggs are beating, grease pans with butter and line them with parchment paper. Add flour and cocoa mixture in two additions using a hand whisk. Carefully mix in the flour without deflating too many air bubbles.
- Split the batter between 2 pans evenly. Using an angled spatula level them it out. Bake cake sponges for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Once removed from pans let the cake sponges cool completely. (Tip: For easier transferring, do not remove them from the parchment paper.)
Cream Instructions
- Chill the mixer bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes (this will speed up the mixing process). Pour 5 cups of heavy cream into the chilled mixer bowl. Beat for 2 minutes or until it becomes pretty thick. Add ½ can Dulce de Leche and beat again for 15 seconds. Scrape the cream down off the sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat again for 15 seconds. (Reminder: The beating time will depend on the strength of the mixer you use. Do not overbeat the cream.)
Assembling Instructions
- Remove one rectangular sponge cake off the parchment paper and place it onto a cake platter. Add and evenly spread out 3 cups of cream. Place meringue layer on top of the cream.
- Spread out another 3 cups of cream onto the second rectangular sponge cake (on the side) and even it out. Holding by the sides of the parchment paper flip the sponge cake with cream down, so the cream is underneath, and place it over the meringue layer. Then peel off the parchment paper from the cake sponge.
- Fill a piping bag with 2 cups of cream and refrigerate until ready to use. Use the rest of the cream to coat the sides. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes or so while you make and cool the ganache to warm.
Decorating the Cake Instructions
- Make the Chocolate Ganache using this recipe. Allow the ganache cool to warm temperature before decorating the cake. (Note: If the ganache is too hot it will melt the cream and slide off the cake.)
- Pipe the cream around the bottom border of the cake. Pour ⅓ of the cooled ganache into a Ziploc bag. First, decorate the sides in a drip design. Then pour the rest of the ganache over top of the cake. Using an angled spatula spread it out evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Place white Kit-Kat chocolate bars on top of the cake and trim milk chocolate Kit-Kat chocolate bars and place them on the white towards one end of the white chocolate to create the piano look. Pipe any design you like to cover the trimmed chocolate edges. Refrigerate for about 6 hours before serving.
- Enjoy!
If you make this Chocolate Meringue Cake Recipe (Piano Version), please share a picture with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I’d love to see your creations!
Looking for more cakes? Check out dessert category.
Kitchen items I used in making this recipe:
(If you need any of these items, simply click on the picture to order. Thank you for your support!)
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Irena says
Looks so yummy!! I want to make this cake and this weekend church gathering, can I soak the sponge cake with anything? Or does it not need to be soaked and still comes out moist? I know all the Russian sponge cakes are on the drier end. Thank you!
Valya's Taste of Home says
You may soak the layers if you'd like, but make sure the moisture is not exposed to the meringue layer because it will soften the meringue.
Dee says
I want to make this for my piano playing, music loving spouse. Can you tell me where you bought the white kit kat's from? I've never seen them and when I looked on Amazon the quantity is more than I want.
Valya's Taste of Home says
I've seen them at Winco Foods, Fred Mayer, Safeway. Most grocery stores should carry it.
Dee says
thank you!
Valya's Taste of Home says
You're most certainly welcome!
Marcee says
Could you make this same cake and use a different filling.? If so how?
Thank you
Marcee
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
Can you explain what kind of filling you have in mind or give me a list of ingredients you would like in the cream, I'll try to come up with a different cream recipe.
Pamela says
I know why you had someone asking about the flour. I've just spend almost an hour checking, rechecking, reading, starting to write a comment, driving myself crazy when I FINALLY realized what is wrong. On the website you have organic sugar and then organic flour but in the printable instructions, its wrong. Instead of having organic sugar and then organic flour, the word sugar is used for BOTH times. This is why other people have been asking how much flour. When the instructions are printed, it doesn't say anything at all about flour in the ingredients. I can't believe in all this time no one has spotted that before and told you so it could be fixed. THAT'S where the problem is, not on the actual website but that supplement which is printable. But I've been wondering, can granulated sugar be substituted for the organic cane sugar? I don't always have that on hand. Hopefully last question, is there a reason the meringue is baked directly on the oven rack and no on a sheet pan or cookie sheet pan? Any meringue I've done before its been on a baking sheet pan. It just seems easier and a lot less worry.
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I'm so sorry about that mechanical error. I already fixed it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I never bake any kind of meringue on a pan. The area of the meringue that is touching the pan gets overbaked or often burned. If you bake the meringue by the instructions it bakes evenly. I have an electric oven. I've never tried baking meringue in a gas-burning oven. I hope this is helpful!
Tonya says
Hi Valechka, I just saw this cake! Oh, WOW!!! This looks amazingly beautiful and very delicious! I am so inspired that I just want to make it for no apparent reason! Thank you so much for sharing such goodness with us!
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
You are very welcome! Let me know how it goes.
Rebecca says
Wonderful recipe. I would like to try making it but having trouble finding full sized white KitKat. Are these the smaller ones?
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
Thank you! They are regular size KitKat candies. You can find them at most grocery stores.
Brenda Medina says
Hi, I was planning on making this cake the day before my sister's birthday. Will the heavy cream in the icing keep it's shape that long without melting? It just seems like in the past when I've used heavy cream it only keeps it shape for a little while after making it...or does the dulce de leche keep it together? Thanks so much, can't wait to try it!
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
Making it the day before is totally ok. It always held the shape for me.
Svetlana says
The cake looks amazing!!! I made it today and it came out better then I thought it would. But i think I put too much sugar because it came out pretty sweet. Thank you sharing this cake:) God bless you!
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I’m glad it turned out great for you! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Vika says
Hi Valya, it says you did not double the portions. Your picture shows 12 egg yolks? is it 12 egg whites for the meringue or 6?
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I think I was making 2 cakes that time and took a photo of all 12 egg yolks. You only need 6 egg whites for this cake. I’m sorry for the confusion, and hope this clarifies.
Ella says
Can this cake be made in round shape? Would that effect cooking time? Please advise. Thanks
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
I’ve made this cake in round shape multiple times and it was great. No need to adjust anything.
Ella says
Thanks! I'm debating between this cake and boccone dolce. I don't know which one to pick. Which one is better and easier in your opinion?
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
In my opinion Boccone Dolce is easier to make it has the same frosting as this one and loaded with fruits. This one has chocolate sponges and ganache on top of meringue and caramel frosting which makes this cake rich and delicate. They are both very delicious cakes though and different in taste. Having hard time deciding? Just make both of them! ?
Kathy says
How far in advance can this cake be made and how would you store it? Thank you.
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
If you like the meringue crunchy inside the cake, then the cake needs to be made a day ahead of time. Keep the cake refrigerated.
Barbara J. Hooker says
The ingredient list for the batter has two lines for sugar, but none for flour. Which amount is for the flour?
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Hi Barbara. I just checked the recipe and everything looks correct. The second line in the batter ingredients indicates 1 cup organic sugar and the third line 3/4 cup organic flour.
Ludmila Kushnir says
made this cake this sunday. it was very delicious even though my meringue became soft, thinking it was the raw cane sugar i used? planning to try it again with different sugar.
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
I've never tried using different sugar then white granulated. Give it another try, the meringue should be hard all the way through. Ovens differ from each other as well, try extending baking time to 30 more minutes. Practice makes perfect, don't give up! 🙂
Yana says
Cake sure looks amazing! Did you double the recipe to get this big of a cake?
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
No, I did not double the recipe. The cake size is approximately 9.5 X 13 inches without bottom cake border. Thank you 🙂
Mike says
Wow!!! What a beauty!!! Great job!!!
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Thank you, it's delicious too! 🙂
Ruth says
Hi Valya,
On step 6, it says bake the meringue for 7 minutes before turning down the oven temperature to 220 degree F. What is the initial temperature before it is turned down? I tried to look all over the post and recipe but couldn't find any. Otherwise, the cake looks so gorgeous and I'll have to try it soon!
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
I'm so sorry, it got missed somehow. It's corrected now. The initial temperature is 275 F (135 C). Good luck making the cake, it sure tastes delish! 🙂
Tatyana says
Wow, I am speechless!!!
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Thank you! 🙂
Irina says
Looks so tasty!!beautiful work. Irina
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Thank you Irina! It sure is tasty and a big hit everywhere it goes ?
mira says
Never seen a cake like this, but it looks gorgeous! Great job! Love it!
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
It tastes really good too. Thanks for stopping by Mira ?
Marina says
This is amazing, Valya!
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Thank you kindly Marina! ?
Kristina says
Wow what a cool cake!! By
Chance Does the cream melt the meringue?
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Thanks Kristina! No, this cream does not melt the meringue layer (at least for 3 - 4 days after it was made from my experience).
Masha says
Absolutely gorgeous!!! Love it! I'll attempt to make it. Thanks for the recipe Valya.
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Thank you so much! Let me know how you like it if you ever get to make it.
Tanya says
Wow!!!Such a beautiful cake! You're so talented Valya. Thank you for sharing it with us.
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
Aww..., you are so sweet! Thank you for kind words 🙂