Meringue Buttercream For Mocha Majolica Recipes

EASIEST, MOST DELICIOUS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place the egg whites and sugar into a metal bowl and set over a pan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature of the egg whites reaches 140 degrees. They will feel very hot to the touch.
• Transfer the heated egg whites and sugar to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix at high speed (or as high as you can go without egg flying out of the bowl) until they have reached their maximum volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Mix on medium or medium-high speed while pinching off small pieces of butter and throwing them in. Mix in vanilla if using. The buttercream may look like it is breaking down, but keep on mixing and it will come back together.

MOCHA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F, grease three 6" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
• Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
• In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour coffee in slowly as not to cook the eggs if very hot).
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
• Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
• Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. A total of 30-35mins.
• Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
• Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3mins).
• Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins))
• Switch to paddle attachment (optional). Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
• Add vanilla, melted chocolate, and espresso powder. Whip until smooth.**
• Finely chop chocolate and place into a bowl. Bring cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 2 mins. Stir gently with a spatula until combined and smooth. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before using on cake.***
• Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
• Frost and smooth the sides. Chill for 20mins.
• Using a small spoon, place dollops of ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.

MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FOR MOCHA MAJOLICA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and water to a boil. Continue to boil until syrup reaches soft-ball stage, 238 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium high until stiff but not dry.
• With mixer running, pour syrup into egg whites in a steady stream and beat on high speed until steam is no longer visible, about 3 minutes. Add butter bit by bit. After all the butter has been added, beat for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and spreadable. If the icing looks curdled at any point during the beating process, don't panic: keep beating and it will smooth out.

MOCHA MERINGUES

Steps:

• Beat egg white and cream of tartar with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, vanilla, cocoa, and coffee powder.
• Drop mixture onto foil lined baking sheet in 12 mounds. They should be about 2 inches apart.
• Bake 40 minutes at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), or until firm. Turn off oven, and let meringues cool in oven for 1 hour. Do not open oven door while the cookies are cooling.

COFFEE AND MOCHA BUTTERCREAMS

Steps:

• Bring 1 3/4 cups sugar and water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, until it registers 220 to 225°F, 15 to 20 minutes.
• At this point, while continuing to boil syrup, beat whites with espresso powder, vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt in mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating, and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.
• When syrup reaches soft-ball stage (238 to 242°F), immediately pour syrup in a slow stream down side of bowl into whites (avoid beaters) while beating at high speed. Beat until completely cool, 25 to 30 minutes. With mixer at medium speed, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition (see cooks' note, below) and until buttercream is smooth. (Mixture may look curdled before all butter is added but will come together at end.)
• Transfer 2 cups buttercream to a small bowl and stir in chocolate. If buttercreams are too soft to spread, chill, stirring occasionally.