Blackberry Chocolate Cheesecake Dacquoise

If you are reading this on Facebook, slideshows and videos are often attached. Click on this live link to my blog: http://www.marilyferecipes.blogspot.com/ if you would like to get the full experience.

As part of my preparations for Passover, I try to plan meals and recipes to use up food items that are sitting in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry so as to make cleaning easier, have less to move to other places, and make space for Passover items. A few days ago, I decided to try to use up a barely-started, three-pound block of cream cheese that I had purchased at Costco. My freezer is always full of leftover egg whites as I have two of them left over every week when I make my challah on Fridays. I had just purchased a beautiful box of fresh blackberries to serve with dessert at Shabbat dinner. All this serendipitously came together when I was looking for ideas in my old recipe file from my catering days. I ran across a recipe clipping from Bon Appetit/Februrary 1985. The recipe, by chef Joseph Klim of the Old Lyme Inn in Lyme, Connecticut, was published as “Raspberry Cheesecake Japonaise.” My sister Adele and I made this for our catering business on some rare occasions and had renamed it on our menu because we felt that “Japonaise” did not give any clue as to what it was. “Dacquoise” is a much more descriptive term if one knows a bit about culinary matters. “A dacquoise is a dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream. It takes its name from the feminine form of the French word dacquois, meaning 'of Dax', a town in southwestern France. It is usually served chilled and accompanied by fruit.

The following recipe is my adaptation based on the contents of my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, and has the added benefit (I realized as I was making it) that it can be made kosher for Passover as it contains no flour and all of the ingredients (with the exception of the vanilla) can be found certified KP. This cake was incredibly delicious and about as elegant and sophisticated to present as any cake could be. The egg whites will whip up fuller and the ingredients blend better if you let them come to room temperature, but this is optional.

Blackberry Chocolate Cheesecake Dacquoise

Meringue Crusts

• 10 ounces almond meal, or finely ground almonds
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 Tbs. potato starch
• 9-10 egg whites, or 1-1/4 cups, room temperature

Cheesecake

• 18 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs, room temperature
• 6 Tbsp. blackberry brandy
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)
• non-stick cooking spray

Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 12 ounces fresh blackberries

For Meringue:
Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Trace two 9-inch circles on two of the sheets using your 9-inch layer cake pan.

Blend almonds or almond meal with 1/2 cup of sugar and potato starch.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat  until meringue holds a peak.

Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and ground nut mixture into the whites.

Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip.

Pipe some of the meringue over one circle on the prepared sheet, beginning in center and spiraling outward to edge. Repeat over second circle. Pipe remaining meringue in short strips on third prepared sheet.

Bake until meringues are dry and lightly colored, about 1 hour.

Cool until room temperature and remove from parchment. These can be made a day ahead and stored, covered in a container, at room temperature.

For Cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch layer cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line with a 9-inch parchment circle, turned over to coat both sides.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Blend in brandy and vanilla.

Turn batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Pour about 1/2-inch of water into the rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Turn off oven. Cool cake for 15 minutes with the door slightly ajar. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

For Frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in cream and vanilla. Blend in chocolate.  

Divide frosting in half.

Set aside two dozen blackberries for garnish. Cut the rest in half lengthwise and fold into half the frosting.

To Assemble:
Set one meringue round on serving platter or cake stand. Spread with half of the blackberry chocolate frosting.

Loosen edges of cheesecake from sides of pan. Carefully invert the frosted meringue layer, frosting side against the cheesecake, over the pan. Flip the whole thing over and remove the pan. Peel off the parchment and discard.

Spread the cheesecake gently with the remaining blackberry chocolate frosting.

Top with second meringue round.

Spoon chocolate frosting into pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe top of cake with chocolate frosting and spread into a thin layer. Pipe side of cake with a thick layer of frosting.

Trim meringue strips to an appropriate length and press into frosting on the side.

Pipe rosettes on top of cake and top with reserved blackberries. Use any remaining frosting to decorate the side of the cake.

Refrigerate cake until firm. Let stand at room temperature about 2 hours before serving. Can be made one day ahead. Do not freeze. Serves about 16 to 20.