CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

March is always a busy birthday month, and lately I feel as though I am either busy planning or baking a celebration cake (or both!). My most recent creation was a Peppa Pig cake which I made for my daughter's 3rd birthday. I have a few other special birthday cakes planned for the coming weeks - look out for a cake filled post with all the photos sometime in the future.  

Today's post celebrates another birthday - last week Cupcakes and Couscous turned 2! It has been another fun year, and I am incredibly grateful for the support of my readers and the new opportunities that have come my way. Here's to another great year! 

I posted a recipe for a double chocolate meringue cake in 2013. This is the same recipe which I have tweaked and improved, and I thought would it be a fitting cake to make to celebrate another year in the blogging world. Moist chocolate cake topped with cinnamon meringue - yes please! Thanks for reading, and enjoy. x 

_________________________

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE

Makes 1 x 22cm cake

1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups castor sugar
1 tsp bicarb
4 tbsp cocoa + extra for dusting
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
180g castor sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Step 1.) Preheat your oven to 170°C. Line the base of a 22cm springform cake tin with baking paper and grease the tin well. 

Step 2.) Sift the flour, baking powder, castor sugar, bicarb, cocoa and salt into a bowl and mix. 

Step 3.) Add the hot water, sunflower oil and vinegar and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into your prepared tin. 

Step 4.) Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and whisk to soft peak stage. 

Step 5.) Combine the castor sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar at a time to the egg whites, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until all the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick, glossy meringue. 

Step 6.) Carefully place heaped tablespoons of meringue onto the cake batter. Use the back of a teaspoon to gently smooth the meringue to cover the top of the cake. 

Step 7.) Pop the cake in the oven for approximately 1 hour, or until a carefully inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin. Dust the meringue with cocoa powder just before serving.