Chocolate cream cake with strawberries and meringues

Ingredients

For the cream

• 350 g Nestlé Dessert dark chocolate
• 400 ml whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons amaretto

For the cake

• 5 eggs
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the syrup

• 3 teaspoons instant coffee
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 200 ml hot water
• 1 tablespoon amaretto

For decorating

• 225 g fresh strawberries
• 15 meringues
• 50 g pistachios

Preparation

1. Break the dark chocolate into pieces and put it in a stainless-steel bowl. Pour the whipping cream over it and hold the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring constantly for 8 minutes, until the chocolate melts. Let the cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then refrigerate it for 4 hours. 2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale. Add the oil, then the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Beat the egg whites with the salt until foamy, then fold them into the mixture with the vanilla using a spatula. Divide the batter into three equal parts. 3. Heat the oven to 180°C and line a 20 cm round pan with baking paper. Put the first part of the batter in the pan and level it out. Bake the layer for 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Repeat with the other two parts, then let the layers cool for 30 minutes. 4. Mix the instant coffee with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of hot water. Add 200 ml of hot water, stir and leave the syrup to cool. Stir in the amaretto. 5. Wash the strawberries and dry them well. Cut some into bite-sized pieces and save the rest for decorating. Whip the cold cream until fluffy, then fold in the amaretto with a spatula. Divide the cream into three equal parts and chop the pistachios. 6. Put the first layer on a serving plate and secure the springform ring around it. Soak it with a third of the syrup, spread on a third of the cream, then add strawberry pieces and 4-5 broken meringues. Put the second layer on top and repeat with syrup, cream, strawberries and 4-5 broken meringues. 7. Put the last layer on top, soak it with the remaining syrup and refrigerate the cake for 4 hours. 8. Remove the ring and cover the cake with the last portion of cream. Make a pattern around the edge with the back of a teaspoon. Decorate with the saved meringues and strawberries, then sprinkle the chopped pistachios in the middle.