This Chocolate Meringue Brownie Cake is life! An amazing chocolate cake with meringue topping but not just any chocolate cake – a chocolate brownie cake. Using my easy meringue recipe, in this post I’ll show you how to make meringue from scratch and how to make this indulgent brownie cake.
Inspired by my favourite brownie recipe and my chocolate swirl meringues, this brownie cake combines the best of both worlds.
What makes it so good?
Just like a chocolate pavlova sitting pretty atop your favourite chocolatey brownie, this meringue cake has everything from fudge to crunch. You get a;
- slightly fudgy chocolate brownie;
- perfectly crisp meringue with a soft marshmallowy centre;
- rustic yet stunning showstopper.
The reason this works so well is the brownie is dense as a brownie should be but the top is airy, crisp and light. The textures all work so well together and the flavour, well, it’s the best chocolate combined with the best pavlova ever. It takes a little time to cook but the prep is pretty easy.
Ingredients
All your usual suspects in this chocolate meringue cake.
Lots of eggs, chocolate, butter, sugar, cocoa – everything you’d expect in a regular brownie. Start by using a good eating chocolate and dark, not milk.
If you’ve not heard of cream of tartar, this is simply an acidic powder that helps stabilise the meringue. If you can’t get that, use lemon juice in the same quantity.
How to make the brownie cake base
You start with the brownie which is literally throwing ingredients together until combined then, once that has cooked for a little while, you add a meringue topping which takes only about 15 minutes to come together too.
- You’ll start by whisking together eggs and sugar (photo 1).
- Add melted chocolate and butter (photo 2).
- Add the dry ingredients and mix (photo 3).
- Then pour it into a tin and bake for 30 minutes (photo 4).
How to make meringue
Meringue is actually pretty easy to make but there are some important rules to make sure it’s successful. Since I learnt how to make meringue I’ve never looked back.
This recipe is actually a take on my Massive Chocolate Meringues and my Easy Peppermint Meringues (without the peppermint of course).
- Beat them to soft peaks first before adding the sifted cream of tartar (which will stabilise the meringue) (photo 5).
- Whip the egg whites now, while adding the sugar a spoonful at a time.
- Add melted chocolate (photo 6), then just use a spatula to fold it twice through (photo 7).
- Tip it over the brownie and level it out (photo 8).
Tips for getting meringue right
- Anything foreign and the egg whites won’t whip – so make sure your bowl and beater are perfectly clean and make sure there is no yolk in the egg whites.
- You must get the egg whites to soft peaks before you start adding the cream of tartar and sugar.
- Make sure to add the sugar slowly so the egg whites have time to dissolve it as you go – I find it helpful to count to 20 between each sugar addition so that I don’t beat it too quickly. Too much too quick and it will just weigh down the egg whites and they will either deflate or you’ll be left with grains.
- Don’t add any flavourings or fillings until the very end and only fold them through once or twice, or your egg whites will deflate into a sloppy white mess.
Just a last little note, the top will crack as soon as you cut into the Chocolate Meringue Brownie Cake (and potentially before that). Treat it delicately but this is meant to be a rustic kind of beautiful so don’t worry about the cracking, just eat up ?
More recipes you’ll love
- Chocolate meringue cake
- Chocolate Brownie Pie
- Massive Chocolate Meringues
- Lemon Meringue Cake
- Brookie Pie (Cookie Crust Brownie Pie)
- Chocolate Pavlova
- Black Magic Cake
- Chocolate Mud Cake
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Ingredients
- 200 g dark (50%) chocolate
- 113 g unsalted butter (1 stick / 1/2 cup )
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1 ½ cups caster (superfine) sugar (300g / 10.5oz)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (100g / 3.5oz)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 130 g plain (all purp) flour
- 25 g unsweetened cocoa (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
FOR THE BROWNIE
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / 160c fan forced. Grease and line a 9 inch round spring form tin with baking paper.
- Melt together 150g chocolate and all the butter and set aside. You can do this in 30 second increments in the microwave stirring really well between each.
- In a large bowl using a balloon whisk, whisk together ¾ cup caster sugar, all the brown sugar and the 3 whole eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Swap to a spatula and mix through the melted chocolate and butter.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt straight over the top of the mixture and mix well with the spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes.
FOR THE MERINGUE
- Melt the remaining 50g chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well between each. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer on high, with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld beater), beat the egg whites to soft peak stage. About 5 minutes.
- Sift over the cream of tartar and beat through.
- While beating on medium, add the remaining ¾ cups of sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time counting to 20 before adding the next.
- Continue to beat until it is thick, glossy and reaches stiff peaks. Test the mixture by rubbing a little between your finger and thumb. It should be smooth. If it is still grainy, keep beating until it is smooth when you test it.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the top and just fold through carefully twice, no more.
- Tip the meringue onto the brownie base (once it’s been baking for 30 minutes) and level it out.
- Bake for another 30 minutes then turn the oven off. Leave the cake in the oven, with the door closed, for another 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes with the door ajar. Very important as this time allows the meringue to properly set and be less likely to crack.
- After that time remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before trying to move it onto a cake stand or it will break apart. This cake can take up to 2 hours to fully cool.
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspoons worldwide)
- For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
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44 Comments on “Chocolate Meringue Brownie Cake”
So I made this and it is absolutely delicious. However, it did deflate in the middle and sort of looks like a dutch baby pancake. I will make it again and try a couple of changes. I’m going to try baking the brownie part longer and then drop the temperature and cook longer on the second part as well. I’ll let you know. I’m giving it 4 stars at present.
Thanks Anya. The meringue top is brittle so it can certainly crack or even fall in, just like a pavlova might and should be looked at as part of it’s rustic charm. Look forward to hearing how your next bake goes though.
Hi would I be able to leave this to cool on the kitchen bench (covered) over night? I need to make it the day before and would leave it in the fridge the next day, I’m in aus so it’s pretty hot right now.
Thanks
Hi Carly. That should be fine, though put it somewhere cooler, like the pantry or even the linen cupboard.
So I may have accidentally put all the sugar in the brownie part. Do you think it will still be OK?
Sorry to say, it’s probably not going to taste so great Carly.
Can i freeze this?
Yes, you can.
Could I freeze this?
It should freeze ok, Em. Make sure it’s wrapped really well or in an airtight container.
Hi there
I had a quick question..in the recipe, first I need to bake the brownie by itself for 30minutes then with the meringue on top bake it for 30 more minutes? Wouldn’t that over-bake the brownie or burn it? Please help..
Thanks
Hi Christina. The meringue protects the brownie when baking.
If you were to double the recipe and put it in a 24cm pan, how long would the baking time be?
I don’t recommend using a larger pan, as with both meringue and brownies their baking time is quite specific to get the right textures. You could certainly make two of them in the same sized pans though.
The meringue collapsed – the cake looks like after an earthquake 😬
Hi Sharon, It’s not unusual for meringue to crack and collapse – it’s very fragile. You can see in the photos mine has done the same. You just need to be super delicate when moving it around. Had it cooled completely before you moved it?
Looks amazing, what does tin does this recipe need?
Hi Kirsty, A 9 inch spring form tin.
Wow this cake is amazing, I can’t wait to try it! Love the rustic look too!
Thanks so much Valerie.
Wow, absolutely MINDBLOWN! I’ve tried loads and loads of recipes in my past and this goes straight to the top.
Perfectly moist and super sweet! The combination of marengue and brownie is so good, I mean SO good.
My whole family said it was the best cake they’ve ever eaten and I must agree. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Susanna. I’m so happy you love it.
Awesome cake, awesome recipe. Easy to put together. Genius recipe being a 2in1 cake. New favourite for the year 👍
Thanks so much Mimi, so happy you love it.
Amazing recipe as it is !!!!tried it twice …always a winner … I cooked the brownie slightly less time in my oven
Thanks so much Mona 🙂
Do you think you could add peanut butter to the brownie? How much and when do you think?
Hi Leslie, probably but I haven’t tested it. You could make my Biscoff Brownies as the base (replace biscoff with PB and leave out the cookies) then make the meringue top as per the recipe.
I swapped out the chocolate chips for frozen raspberries which cuts through the sweetness beautifully, and swirled a teaspoon of raspberry essence through the meringue along with the chocolate. DELICIOUS!! Lasted a week sitting in an airtight container on my counter, too (it’s winter)
Sounds like some great subs Meg. Do you have a photo – I’d love to see it 🙂
This looks delicious! Would it work in a bundt pan?
Hello Allie, I’m not sure about a bundt pan, it would likely dry out the brownie and leave much less marshmallow in the meringue
Hi!!!
I just made this last night and it turned out amazing. I do find it too sweet though… Maybe that is just me… But is it possible to subtract the sugar in the brownie or the meringue? Will it change the texture?
I will try to make it again next time. 😀 Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks so much Cam and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Nature of the beast, I’m afraid – both brownies and meringue are very sweet so this is definitely a sugar lovers dream. You could possibly cut down a tiny bit in the brownie but don’t touch the amount of sugar in the meringue as the texture will definitely be affected.
Just made this and thought all was good. It looked perfect and seem to be holding up, then I noticed that the entire meringue layer is hollow. ??? How is this possible. Aagghhh!! Any tips so I can try again.
Hi Jeni, the meringue on this cake is somewhat like a pavlova so you should see a big hollow space and then a marshmallowy layer sitting right on the top of the brownie. In my photos, you can see in some of the photos the pieces at the back still have a big gap, while the slice that’s in focus has meringue sitting on top of the marshmallow. That’s just because when I cut it, the meringue dropped and sat on the marshmallow part. So the gap is perfect and how it should be. If there is no marshmallow at all, it may mean the oven was a bit too hot or it was cooked too long, totally drying out the meringue. It will still taste amazing though.
I made this but left the brown sugar out by accident, I’m so sad! Hoping it isn’t dry, amazing looking recipe though I’ll be using it again. Thanks!
Oh no! I hope you still enjoy it Georgie
Hi how do I store if there’s any leftover of the cake ? I live in a very humid country so would it be okay if I store it in the fridge a day before it’s being used? Or air conditioned room will do? Hope to see your reply soon thanks !
Hi Chloe, best to keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. Happy baking 🙂
Hi, this looks great, will the cake hold up if made the day before being used?
Hello Di, yes it will. Just keep it a cool place (not the fridge) and in an airtight container if possible. Happy baking ?
Hello, it sounds like a great recipe, but I have a question in step number 5 with the addition of the chocolate to the merengue. You say folding just twice to keep it fluffy, but does it integrate well while baking or it ends up in a bicolor merengue?
Hello, Just mixing it through once or twice will keep it looking marbled as it is in the photos. I suggest not stirring the chocolate through so that it’s all once colour, as you will deflate the meringue. Hope that helps 🙂