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Mocha Dacquoise

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mocha dacquoise

Mocha Dacquoise is one of my favorite desserts. Rich, creamy, and sweet with mocha chocolate, it’s the kind of pastry where one bite inevitably leads to another. I became smitten with this indulgence at my friend Nancy Shephard’s Café Metro, where pastry chef Ginna Mooser crafted it alongside an irresistible napoleon for the dessert menu. Before visiting, I’d call to reserve an entire Mocha Dacquoise just for us—though I occasionally shared with other patrons. Unfortunately, when Nancy retired and the café closed, I feared this beloved dessert would disappear forever. Thankfully, Ginna came to the rescue, inviting me into her kitchen and teaching me how to make it myself.

What is a Mocha Dacquoise?

This exquisite multi-layer dessert features toasted almond meringue crusts paired with luscious chocolate mocha buttercream and a filling of rum-infused Chantilly cream. Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and more buttercream decorations, it’s truly a masterpiece.

Another satisfied customer

Another satisfied customer in the throes of ecstasy!

Making the Mocha Dacquoise

This is a three step process, beginning with the toasted almond meringue crusts. Make these a day in advance and leave them in the oven, keeping the door closed until ready to assemble the dacquoise. The recipe makes 4 crusts, but they are fragile if made properly thin, so I usually use three crusts to make a two layer dacquoise. Use the four crusts to make two single layer dacquoise if you need two cakes.

Step One – Meringue Crusts

ground almonds

Toast and grind the almonds then set aside.

meringue with almonds

Make the Meringue and fold in the almonds

piped meringue
 

Pipe the almond meringue onto the parchment paper.

ready to bake mocha dacquoise crusts

Spread the meringue evenly with an icing spatula, then bake it @225 for 2-1/2 hours, turn off the heat and leave in the oven to completely cool. Print

Meringue Crusts

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Toasted Almond Meringue Crust

  • Author: Tim
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 150
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1–1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup almond slivers – toasted and ground

Instructions

  1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw (2) 9″-10″ circles on each piece of parchment
  2. Preheat oven to 225
  3. Beat egg whites on high until foamy, then add the salt, cream of tartar and vanilla extract, and beat until soft peaks form
  4. Gradually add the sugar while beating until stiff peaks form, about 8-10 minutes
  5. Stop beating and gently fold in the toasted, ground almonds
  6. Pipe the meringue onto the parchment in a circular fashion with a pastry bag and smooth with a cake icing spatula to make the round crusts with even thickness
  7. Bake for 2-1/2 hours and leave in the oven to completely cool. Do NOT open the oven door until ready to use because the meringue will quickly absorb any moisture in the air. You want them to remain crisp.

Notes

  1. Don’t make them too thin or they will crack and break
  2. Don’t make them too thick or they will be soft instead of crisp
  3. Divide the meringue evenly between 4 crusts and they will be fine
  4. I usually make the crusts the evening before and leave them in the oven overnight. It speeds the finishing process for the dessert.

Step Two – Mocha Buttercream

Make the buttercream when you are ready to finish the dacquoise. It needs  time to chill enough to pipe around the perimeter of the crusts and decorate the top of the dacquoise. Print

Mocha Buttercream

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Chocolate Coffee Buttercream

  • Author: Tim
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3 cups 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 TBL hot espresso coffee
  • 2 tsp strong instant coffee
  • 1 cup semi-sweet bakers chocolate – finely chopped
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter – softened to room temp
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the instant coffee into the espresso – completely
  2. Pour the coffee mix over the chocolate in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave about 30 seconds and mix with a spatula until you have a smooth mixture
  3. Transfer to a standing mixer bowl and allow it to cool until it’s warm, but not solidified
  4. Mix with a paddle attachment on low speed, adding 2 tablespoons of softened butter at a time, then add the egg yolks and after they are integrated, add the powdered sugar
  5. Mix until you have a smooth mixture and stop. Do not overmix
  6. Fill a piping bag with a medium star tip and chill in the refrigerator while you make the Chantilly cream filling.

Notes

Make this when ready to make the chantilly cream filling and finish the Dacquoise. If it sets in the fridge too long it will set up too hard to pipe.

Step Three – Chantilly Cream Filling and Final Assembly

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Chantilly Cream Filling

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A delicious rum infused, almond flavored whipped cream filling

  • Author: Tim
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4-5 cups 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 qt heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 TBL dark rum
  • 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds

Instructions

  1. Chop and toast the almond slivers in a non-stick skillet on low medium heat, stirring with a spatula  until the edges just begin to turn golden. Remove and set aside
  2. Use your frozen mixing bowl and paddle to whip the cream on high speed until soft peaks form
  3. Slowly add the sugar and then the rum and whip until you have stiff peaks
  4. Gently fold in the almonds with a spatula and refrigerate until ready to use

Notes

Freeze your mixing bowl and paddle attachment for the best whipping results

Mocha Dacquoise – Final Assembly

When ready to assemble, the crusts are baked and the buttercream is chilled in a piping bag. The Chantilly cream filling is resting in the fridge waiting to be spooned into the center. Have a shaker of powdered sugar handy and get started.

Decorate the dacquoise as artfully or utilitarian as you wish. I am not a skilled cake decorator, so it is likely yours will look much better than mine. Ginna’s was absolutely gorgeous, but you can’t teach a steady hand or better eyesight. You have it or you don’t.

I will guarantee that regardless how it looks, it will taste divine. Print

Mocha Dacquoise – Assembly

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Finishing the Dacquoise

  • Author: Tim
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1-2

Ingredients

  • Meringue crusts
  • Chocolate mocha buttercream
  • Chantilly cream filling
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Remove a crust from the oven, gently dislodge it from the parchment paper with an icing spatula and transfer onto a cake platter. Be careful, they are fragile
  2. Pipe the buttercream around the outer edge of the crust, then spoon-fill the center with Chantilly cream to the top edge of the mocha buttercream and smooth with the icing spatula
  3. Carefully place the second crust on top. Do not press and use the crust to level the filling! They are fragile!
  4. Repeat steps 2,3 and 4 if making a double layer dacquoise (optional)
  5. Dust with powdered sugar
  6. Decorate with more chocolate mocha buttercream

Notes

This recipe will make (2) single layer dacquoise, or (1) double layer dacquoise using (3) crusts.

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