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Almond Dacquoise Cake with Lemon Curd, Cream and Berries

Dacquoise | ZoeBakes (3 of 3)-2

The dacquoise is a delicate cake layer that is sadly under used by home bakers. It is a cousin to a pavlova, but has the richness of nuts. It is made of French meringue that has nuts (almond meal and coarsely crushed roasted almonds) folded into it and baked in a thin layer. The dacquoise is crisp and used to add a sweet, nuttiness to your cake layers or can be used all on its own. I’ve piled the layers high with whipped cream, lemon curd, mixed berries and topped the whole thing with shards of white chocolate painted with edible luster dust. Without the chocolate it is really a very simple dessert, but if you are going to a party it’s nice to fancy it up a bit.

How to Make Dacquoise with Lemon Curd and Berries

See me make this recipe step by step here, then head to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!

Prepare parchment paper by drawing circles that match the size of the cake you are going to make. I’ve done four 8-inch circles.

Preheat the oven to 225°F.

dacquoise

I used the cardboard round that would eventually be used under the cake as my template. You can also use the bottom of your cake pan.

Sift the almond meal and 1/3 cup sugar together in a small bowl and set aside. Crush the whole almonds in a Mortar and Pestle, you want the pieces to be big enough to add texture.

dacquoise

Whip the egg whites on low speed in a mixer until they start to foam, about 45 seconds. Slowly sprinkle the 1 cup sugar over the egg white on medium low speed, once they are all added, turn up the speed and continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed.

dacquoise

Fold in the almond meal and then the crush whole almonds.

dacquoise

Place the dacquoise in to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe in a large spiral until you have filled in the circles drawn on the parchment. it should be about an 1/4-1/2″ thick. You can also spread the batter with an Offset Cake Spatula. Just make sure they are all even do they bake at the same rate.

dacquoise

Bake the dacquoise at 225°F until dry, about 65-85 minutes. If your house is humid, store the dacquoise in the cool oven until ready to use.

Dacquoise | ZoeBakes (2 of 3)-2

If you like this recipe, check out these mini Dacquoise with Peaches and Cream!

Almond Dacquoise Cake with Lemon Curd, Cream and Berries

Dacquoise with Lemon Curd, Cream and Berries

A dacquoise is a French dessert made of meringue disks assembled into a cake. This version with curd and berries is perfect for spring and summer.
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Ingredients

Dacquoise

  • 1/2 cup (60g) almond flour
  • 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners' sugar
  • 1 cup (140g) whole roasted and salted almonds I like the bit of saltiness to balance all the sweet of the meringue
  • 1 cup (240ml) egg whites, from about 6 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup (200g) superfine sugar

Lemon Curd

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
  • Pinch kosher salt

Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1-2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Berries

  • 2 pints (240g) fresh berries blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

White Chocolate Decorations (optional)

  • 1 cup white chocolate chips melted
  • Luster Dust LINK HERE

Instructions

Dacquoise

  • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F / 107 degrees C. Trace two 8-inch (20cm) circles on each of two sheets of parchment paper and set them, upside down, on two 16 by 11-inch (41cm by 28cm) jelly-roll pans. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse the almonds to crush them. You want the pieces to be just big enough to add texture.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed, until they start to foam, about 45 seconds. Turn the speed to medium-low and slowly sprinkle the sugar to create a French meringue. Turn the speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • Using the whisk attachment, fold in the almond flour mixture, then fold in the crushed almonds.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the circles on the prepared parchment paper. Using an offset cake spatula, spread the batter, making sure all the circles are even so they bake at the same rate.
  • Bake until the dacquoise are dry, about 90 minutes. Turn off the oven (don’t open the door), turn on the oven light (if your oven doesn’t have a light, continue baking for 15 minutes more), and let the dacquoise sit in the cooling oven for at least 2 hours; it can be stored like this overnight or even up to 24 hours. Leaving the light on ensures it will stay dry.

Lemon Curd

  • In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter and salt.
  • Put 1 inch (2.5cm) of water in the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Place the bowl with the lemon mixture over the simmering water.
  • Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture constantly, making sure to clean the sides of the bowl as you go, until the lemon curd begins to thicken, about 10 minutes; it will be the consistency of smooth pudding.
  • If there are any lumps in the curd, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a shallow container and cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
  • In a large bowl, add enough ice cubes and cold water to create a bath for the container to sit in without the water breaching the sides.
  • Set the container in the ice bath or place in the freezer until chilled, about 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Whipped Cream

  • In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed until just thick—it will start to leave marks from the whisk in the cream.
  • Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment, continue whipping by hand for several seconds until the cream reaches the desired consistency; this way, you can ensure the mixer won’t take it too far. Whipped cream is best used right away.

White Chocolate Decorations (Optional)

  • Spread the chocolate in a very thin layer on a piece of parchment paper. Freeze the chocolate. Paint it with edible Luster Dust and then break into shards. If your house is warm, you may need to freeze again after painting, but just for a few minutes.

Assemble

  • Place one dacquiose disk on a serving plate, cover with one-fourth of the whipped cream, swirl one-fourth of the lemon curd into the cream, and the top with one-fourth of the berries. Repeat with the remaining disks, whipped cream, curd, and berries. Decorate with the shards of chocolate, if desired.
  • Refrigerate the dacquoise for 1 hour before serving to make cutting easier.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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42 thoughts to “Almond Dacquoise Cake with Lemon Curd, Cream and Berries”

  1. Hi Miss T,

    You made your own wedding cake? You are my hero. It was all I could do to get my dress on and show up on time! 🙂

    Zoë

  2. Thanks, Zoe! Yes, crazy, but I really wanted to do it. The cake was complicated enough that it took a week to make–I spent an entire day just on marzipan fruit! So glad I did it, though, and the photos of me with buttercream up and down my arms are priceless. :o)

  3. Miss T,

    I think marzipan fruit is just the thing you need to keep your mind at peace right before your wedding day!

    Good for you. I hope you didn’t have to then deliver it to the wedding site. That is always the worst part for me!

    Zoë

  4. Thank You so much for this great recipe. I have been looking all over for one. I used to work in a French bakery & the baker who made this went back to France & it was never made again. He used to make it as a cake on its own. He put either vanilla or chocolate buttercream between the 2 layers of cake.

    Karin

  5. Zoe,

    This is very close to what I’ve been looking for! When I lived in England, my wife and I used to go to a pub that served a dacquoise for dessert. It was an almond dacquoise with an espresso buttercream filling with sliced bananas between the layers. I’ve been trying to find a recipe for that dessert for years. Do you have any suggestions on the filling recipe?

    Thanks,
    Rick

  6. I am doing my homework on a cake that I made a few times at a bakery I worked at years ago. I’m planning my wedding and I’m in search of a tiered cake with almond dacquoise, and possibly a chambord or grand marnier buttercream icing. I believe that she may have used a raspberry filling as well. Could you possibly give me some pointers?

  7. Hi, Zoe – My daughter just sent me this recipe which we both realize we have tasted in our favorite elegant restaurant; we just didn’t know its name!

    And we want to bake it but we need clarification of the amount of egg whites. The recipe simply says, “2/3 egg whites – about 5.” Do you mean 2/3 Cup of egg whites?

    We especially love the recipe because we have a friend who can’t tolerate gluten and another who is lactose-intolerant so this will be perfect for both of them.

    Thank you very much for your help.

    Sincerely,
    Linda Polsby

  8. Hi Zoe,
    I was considering making miniature versions of your dacquoise for individual servings, layered with cream and fresh berries. Would you be able to point me in the right direction for baking times…
    As always, your blog always uplifts when things get dreary!
    Best regards,

    1. Hi Wales,

      You can bake it for about the same time as the larger one, maybe start checking them at 50 minutes, but at that temperature it will still take a bit of time. If you are making them much thinner, then you will need to check earlier.

      Enjoy, Zoë

  9. Hi Zoe,
    This is a great recipe. I would like to make the almond/nut flavor a little stronger, is there an extract you would recommend?
    Thank you,
    Rachel

    1. Hi Rachel,

      I would recommend an alcohol based extract rather than an oil, just because it may interfere with the whipping of the whites.

      Enjoy, Zoë

  10. Hi Zoe

    I would love to make this dessert, however I am not sure how I incorporate the dacquoise into the cake. Do I crumble it and put it on top of the already baked cake and then ice it with buttercream icing or whipping cream?

    1. Hi Moira,

      You can use the disk whole as a layer in your cake or you can crumble it, whichever way will work. You probably don’t want to use it as the top layer, since it won’t be flat and it will be harder to cover with buttercream.

      Thanks, Zoë

  11. Hey Zoe, i wanted to use a layer of the dacquoise in between 2 layers of cake and a swiss meringue buttercream.. i was just wondering abt texture when sandwiched in between all of the above..will the dacquoise stay crisp or does it get soggy from the buttercream? if not , how long TILL it gets soggy… =) Thank you so much ! your mocha buttercream was the first non crisco/butter frosting i ever tried and 3 years later im still in love with it =)

    1. Hi Redpink,

      The dacquoise will hold up pretty well with buttercream, but will get soggy with something like whipped cream. It will depend on how warm and humid the room is as well.

      Enjoy, Zoë

  12. Zoe, I am going to make this for a wedding shower. The shower starts at 2pm . I am also preparing the meal. Can I bake the Daquoise the day before and complete the method the next day ? Time seems to always work against me.

  13. Zoe, I need some help! I used your dacquoise recipe for a friend’s anniversary cake last summer. I baked a simple white cake, used an almond wash and put the dacquoise between the sliced cake layers and finished it off with a Swiss buttercream. It was amazing! Now her daughter wants me to make the same cake for her wedding. I have made a few wedding cakes before and have a sense of how far in advance I can make the cake and icing but I don’t know about the dacquoise. How long does it keep? Can I make it the week before? The wedding is Dec.28th and I’ll be traveling some for the holidays. I just want to make as much ahead of time as possible. Any thoughts on how long the completed cake would keep in the refrigerator? Thanks so much for your time! susan

    1. Hi Susan,

      What a wonderful cake to have at her wedding! The dacquoise is most sensitive to humidity. If it is very dry where you are and you keep the dacquoise in an airtight container, it actually lasts for quite a while. I’d say a few days before it starts to loose its nice texture. Once the cake is assembled I would serve it within 24 hours, or the dacquoise will start to break down too much.

      Enjoy! Zoë

  14. This seems like a great recipe! Do you think it will work as the bottom of a chocolatemousse cake? I’m afraid it will get too soggy, especially since I have to keep it in the fridge a couple of hours so the mousse will set. Thanks for a very inspiring website!

  15. OMG ~ OMG ~ OMG ~ This cake is gorgeous ~ I would really like to see this submitted to FoodFotoGallery.com so I can share with all my foodie friends ~ pretty please 🙂

  16. Is the oven temperature in degrees Celcius or degrees Fahrenheit?

    And the sugar that goes in with the almond meal, is that icing sugar (powdered sugar) or granulated sugar?

    1. Hi Theresa,

      You certainly can use cream of tartar, but it isn’t always necessary. If you wanted to add a pinch to the egg whites, that would be fine.

      Thanks, Zoë

  17. Hi Zoe!
    I wanted to make layers of sponge cake, spiced cream and almond dacquoise. I wanted to know if the dacquoise gets soggy if I top it with cream a day before serving it.
    Do you think making it a day in advance is a bad idea? And would it be necessary to perhaps add a layer of tempered chocolate between the dacquoise and the cream?
    Thanks!

  18. I’ve never made a dacquoise before, but I want to try this out this weekend! Quick question about the ingredients: You list “1 egg whites” for the dacquoise. I’m guessing that should read “1 cup egg whites”?

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