Someone left a comment earlier today on a post I had made about Loco Coyote in Glen Rose that also mentioned the Swiss Pastry Shop in FW. Asked if I had the recipe for the Black Forest Cake. Well.. Yes I Do! But first a story

I found out about this wonderful cake through a cousin of mine who served it at a luncheon I attended. I had had a mildly related dessert a long time back when I lived in Overland Park, KS, but the other dessert was much flatter, although still frozen. I went back once for my birthday to have a slice at Swiss Pastry and was pretty well hooked. One time I ordered one of the cakes to take to my brother's house. I forgot that he was in the process of moving and had already packed up all his plates and flatware... we ate it with our hands! heh.

This is NOT a Black Forest Cake in the style of a chocolate cake with cherry filling. This, instead, is a frozen confection of meringue layers with whipped cream in between, topped by shaved chocolate.

I don't know where I got this recipe but I think it must have been from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, in a recipe section. Then, because I am not the most organized in the world, in order to remember it, I wrote it down in the back of my favorite chocolate cookbook, the Hershey's 1934 Cookbook, which has the recipe for the best brownies I have ever made or eaten.. anywhere. Updating this in 2014 with some photos. 

Here, for you,is how to make the Meringue Whipped Cream Cake. If you, dear reader, are passing by and have eaten this confection, please make a comment about it, where you were when you first ate it if you remember.

Black Forest Cake Riglea Country Club

Serves 8-10

Cake: 1 1/4 c egg whites (8 large egg whites should equal 8 oz. or 1 measuring cup, so, about 10 large)

10 TBs granulated sugar

3 oz blanched almonds, finely grated

2 TBs all purpose flour

Let egg whites stand until at room temperature. Whip them until stiff but not dry. Carefully fold in sugar, almonds and flour.

Line three 10 inch cake pans with wax paper or parchment paper (See tip below about alternately preparing paper with butter and flour if you have a problem removing these from the paper. I use a sharp spatula and any mistakes can be frosted over. YOu could also make parchment circles to put on a cookie sheet and cook them that way, giving you more flexibility. )

Divide meringue and gently place a third in each pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until well dried. Remove from oven and put on cake rack, letting it cool partially. (See tip below about length of cooking time) While still warm, turn out of pan, remove paper and finish cooking.

*****FILLINGS

1 envelope plain gelatin (SEE NOTE BELOW)

1 1/2 pints whipping cream

1 c plus 2 TBs sugar

1 square chocolate

NOTE: UPDATE: Found a second variation of this recipe, which doesn't use gelatin.  IF GELATIN: Soften gelatin in 2 TBs cold water. Set cup in pan of hot water and stir until dissolved. (You may want to strain through a fine strainer, just in case it hasn't thoroughly dissolved.) Cool

I'm actually with her since I don't like working with gelatin either unless it's jello!  She subsituted powdered sugar since it contains cornstarch.

2.Beat 3 c. of whipping cream with 6 T confectioner's sugar. Confectioner's sugar contains cornstarch and will help to stabilize the whipped cream.You could use gelatin - at your own risk!

Whip cream until stiff. Fold in gelatin mixture (or skip if you're using powdered sugar alternative, above) and sugar while whipping. Put baked meringue together with whipped cream, leaving enough to cover top and sides. Shave chocolate (I used a grater to grate bittersweet choc on top)  and sprinkle on top of cake. Cake handles more easily if allowed to stand in refrigerator overnight.

And, of course, you can freeze this and eat later. There's something quite delish about getting a frozen one and having it partially thaw and then tasting the heavenly morsels.

TIP UPDATE: A couple of tips I read in a different meringue cake recipe from the LA Times about a choco-meringue cake. In that recipe, the parchment or wax paper is brushed with melted butter, generously floured and then the excess is shaken out. That, of course, would help if the  meringues stick to the cake pan.  In my opinion, if the above sticks on the bottom to your parchment paper, you need to cook it longer.  On the other hand, Martha Stewart's recipe for Walnut Meringue layers does not butter and flour the paper. Also, in this other recipe, the meringues are baked at 250 for 25-30 minutes or just until starting to color and then baked at 200 for another 2 hours, then left in the oven, oven off, to dry and cool some more, taken out while still warm.One thing I did originally was use a smaller cake pan for the larger flat meringues and realized I needed to definitely get the 10 inch pans. ​

P.S. I had 10 egg yolks, decided to freeze them to make creme brulee at another time.  Be sure to freeze the egg yolks property if you do this. 

***************************************************.ANOTHER VARIATION OF a meringue layer cake.

Meringue layer cake

Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes, largely unattended

Servings: 12 to 16

Note: Adapted from "The Gourmet Cookbook, Volume 1." Ice this cake immediately after you make the icing and serve soon after preparing.

Meringues

1 tablespoon butter (for parchment)

2 tablespoons flour (for parchment)

8 egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup ground almonds

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with wax paper or baking parchment. Trace 2 circles on each of two baking sheets, 8 inches in diameter, with 1 inch between them. On the third sheet, trace one circle. Brush the paper with melted butter and flour generously, shaking off the excess.

2. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Fold in the flour and the ground almonds.

3. Divide the egg white mixture among the circles on the baking sheets, taking care to spread it evenly to the edges of the circles as thin spots will be fragile.

4. Place the sheets in the oven, reduce the heat to 250 degrees and bake for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until the layers are just beginning to color. Reduce the heat to 200 and bake for two more hours.

5. Remove the meringues and cool briefly so they can be handled. Peel the parchment paper from the bottom of the disks, trying not to break them but not minding if you do -- icing will conceal it.

Icing and assembly

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1. As the meringues cool, make the filling. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together; remove from heat.

2. Beat the egg whites until foamy and soft but not until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and cocoa and then the melted chocolate and butter.

3. Put a meringue disk on a good pastry dish. Coat it with icing. Place a disk on top of the icing. Ice. Repeat with the remaining disks, finishing with a layer of icing. Serve immediately. The Italian walnut liqueur Nocino would be the ideal accompaniment.

Each of 16 servings: 320 calories; 4 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 23 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 46 mg. cholesterol; 40 mg. sodium.

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Martha Stewart's Walnut Meringue Layers

Makes three 9-inch-square cakes

• 8 ounces toasted walnut halves (2 1/2 cups), toasted and finely ground (2 cups)