Coffee Cake with Chocolate Meringue

Preparation

• Cake

  • With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Butter a 42 x 30-cm (17 x 12-inch) baking sheet. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, letting the paper hand on 2 sides.
  • In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until the mixture is light and triples in volume, about 10 minutes. Add the oil in a stream while whisking.
  • Sift the flour over the bowl and fold in with a spatula or a whisk.
  • Spread the batter on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned. Unmould by flipping the cake on parchment paper sprinkled with sugar. Allow to cool between the two sheets of papers under a clean cloth.
  • Cut off the edges of the cake. Cut the cake into four 41 x 7-cm (16 x 2 ¾-inch) strips. Wrap the cake tightly.

• Coffee Buttercream

  • In a saucepan, bring the espresso and sugar to a boil and cook until a candy thermometer reads 113 C (235 °F). Remove from the heat.
  • Whip the eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer at medium speed until they become foamy. Drizzle the hot syrup over the eggs, while beating, avoiding the beaters of the mixer. Beat continuously until completely cooled, about 15 minutes.
  • Add the butter, 1 or 2 cubes at a time, beating until smooth.
  • Frost one side of each strip with about half the buttercream. Roll the first strip onto itself and place it upright on a serving platter. Wrap the second strip around the first then repeat with the other two. Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream.

• Chocolate Meringue

  • With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 75 °C (170 °F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a bowl, combine 60 ml (1/4 cup) of icing sugar with the cocoa powder. Sift. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and cocoa mixture.
  • With a pastry bag fitted with a 1-cm (1/2-inch) plain tip, form a disc on a baking sheet, the same diameter as the cake covered with buttercream, about 23-cm (9-inch). With the remaining meringue, on the second baking sheet, form about 40 sticks of the equal length, making the stick equal to the height of the cake, about 6-cm (2 ½-inch).
  • Place the baking sheets in the oven and let the meringues dry for about 4 hours. Cool completely. Place the cooled disc on top of the cake. Cover the side of the cake with the meringue sticks.