Gateau Diane

Serves 8-10

Time 1 hour plus overnight baking

Ingredients

Meringue Layers

4 egg whites

225g caster sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee

Chocolate Fondant

250g butter

250g sugar

1 tbsp cold brew coffee concentrate or 1 espresso shot 

140ml cold water

4 egg yolks

115g dark chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 80°C.

Beat egg whites until stiff, add the sugar and continue beating. Add the coffee and beat again.

Cut 4 large squares of baking paper and draw on each an 18 cm diameter circle (you can draw around a round 7’ cake tin). Place the papers on 4 baking trays. Divide and spread the meringue mixture evenly to fill the 4 circles. Place in the oven and leave to cook overnight. (Roughly 10 hours).

To make the fondant, beat the butter until soft.

Put the water and sugar into a small saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring it to a boil and boil rapidly for 2-5 minutes until it thickens slightly and a short thread forms at end of a skewer.

Meanwhile, beat yolks until creamy. Pour syrup very gradually over egg yolks, beating continuously until thick and creamy. Add the whipped/beaten butter to the egg yolk mix.

Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water. Add the melted chocolate and coffee to the egg mix and beat until combined.

Put the bowl into the fridge to thicken for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Spread the chocolate fondant evenly between the meringue layers, finishing with a coat on the top. Garnish with grated chocolate.

Pop into the freezer to set. Serve straight from the freezer cut into slices. Drizzle with pouring cream for extra decadence!