Cakes and Gateaux Recipes - Mocha Brazil Layer Torte

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites

• 115g/4oz  caster sugar

• 15ml/1 tbsp coffee essence

• 75g/3oz Brazil nuts, toasted and finely ground

• 20cm.8in chocolate sponge cake

FOR THE ICING

• 175g/6oz plain chocolate chips

• 30ml/2 tbsp coffee essence

• 30ml/2 tbsp water

• 600ml/1 pint double cream, whipped

TO DECORATE

• 12 chocolate triangles

• 12 chocolate-coated coffee beans

---

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Draw two 20cm/8in circles on greaseproof paper and place on a baking sheet. Grease, base-line and flour a 20an/8in round spring form tin.

2. For the meringue, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in the sugar until glossy. Fold in the coffee essence and nuts. Using a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe circles of the mixture on to the paper. Bake for 2 hours. Cool. Increase the oven temperature to 180C/350F /Gas 4.

3. For the icing, melt the chocolate chips, coffee essence and water in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and fold in the whipped cream.

4. Cut the cake into three equal layers. Trim meringue discs to the same size and assemble the cake with a layer of sponge, a little icing and a meringue disc, ending with sponge.

5. Reserve a little of the remaining icing. use the rest to cover the cake completely, forming a swirling pattern over the top. Using the reserved icing, and a piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe 24 small rosettes on top of the cake. Top alternately with the coffee beans and the chocolate triangles.