Hazelnut meringue and chocolate layer cake

Method

• step 1

  Cut three sheets of baking paper and draw a 20cm diameter circle on each. Put on two or three large baking sheets.

• step 2

  Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toast the hazelnuts in a pan until pale golden, then cool. Whizz in a food processor until finely ground.

• step 3

  Put the egg whites in a clean bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk to soft peaks. Add the sugar a couple of tablespoons at
  a time and keep whisking until glossy stiff peaks form. Fold in the hazelnuts. Divide the mixture into three and spread out to fit the circles.

• step 4

  Turn down the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool inside for 2 hrs. If making ahead, you can then store these between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container.

• step 5

  To make the brittle, halve the nuts, getting rid of any dust. Heat the sugar in a small pan until it has melted and turned into a deep brown caramel. Tip in the nuts, swirl, then tip onto an oiled baking sheet. Leave to cool then break into shards.

• step 6

  For the ganache, put the chocolate into a large bowl. Put the cream into a pan and bring to a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before stirring to combine. Cover and cool to room temperature, so that it has a spreadable consistency. For the boozy cream, put everything in a bowl then whisk to soft peaks.

• step 7

  To finish spread a third of the ganache over the three meringues, followed by a third of the cream. Stack the meringues carefully on top of each other, then scatter over the brittle shards and add chocolate shavings to finish.