Chocolate Meringue Cake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream & Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients

Chocolate Meringue Cake
1 1/2 cups blanched slivered almonds, plus more for garnish
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate bar, melted and cooled, plus more chocolate shaved for garnish
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 pint raspberries, for garnish
Chocolate Syrup
1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Start with making the cake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread slivered almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool and chop using a knife or in a food processor.
Lower oven temperature to 225°F. Using a bowl as a template, draw three 8-inch circles on two pieces of parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Set aside.
In a large clean bowl with a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat egg whites over medium-high speed until frothy. Then add salt and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until stiff. Fold in almond extract and almonds. Drizzle in chocolate and fold in until swirled. Do not incorporate the chocolate fully; there should be some streaking.
Spoon meringue onto the 8 inch circles and bake for 2 – 2 ½ hours until very crisp to the touch. Rotate the pans (flip around and switch rack position) halfway through baking. Once ready, turn off the oven, leave oven door open, and let the cakes cool in the oven.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer. Slowly drizzle in cream while beating until stiff peaks form.
Once cakes are cooled, carefully remove from parchment paper. If they crack a little, don’t worry.
Place one cake on a plate or cake plate and top with a layer of whipped cream. Top with another cake, more whipped cream, and the third layer of cake and more whipped cream. Refrigerate cake overnight.
The next day, make the chocolate syrup. Combine sugar, water, cocoa powder and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk while cooking until ingredients are incorporated and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool. If syrup is too thick once cool, whisk in a little more water.
Drizzle chocolate syrup over cake and garnish with raspberries, almonds and chocolate shavings. Serve at room temperature.