Dacquoise sponge is my favourite sponge to make and eat! It’s very simple, you make a French meringue and combine it together with ground nuts which creates a nutty, light soft sponge with a crispy top. Typically you use hazelnuts or almonds but you can use any type of ground nut of your choice.
Dacquoise sponge is great for layered sponges and entremets. Whenever I make an entremet I’ll always use this sponge as it brings a variety of textures, works great for a base and is gluten free!
Variations of a Dacquoise sponge
- Adding cocoa powder to make it a chocolate dacquoise
- Using extracts to enhance the flavour such as almond extract
- Swap the ground almonds for ground hazelnuts, cashews, macadamias.. whatever flavour you want!!
- Desiccated coconut- my personal favourite
If you’d prefer a crunchier sponge don’t ground up your nuts so fine leave them course.
How to make a Dacquoise
- 180 grams ground nuts (almonds etc)
- 100 grams icing sugar
- 180 grams egg whites
- 50 grams caster sugar
- Preheat your oven at 160 degrees
- Line a baking tray with a silicone sheet or baking paper
- Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with almonds
- Make a French meringue
- Gently fold 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the meringue and then the rest of the dry ingredients
- Be careful not to over mix as we don’t want to eggs to deflate
- Pour the dacquoise mix onto your tray and spread evenly with an offset spatula
- Try to get it as level as possible so it bakes evenly
- Depending on how thick you want your dacquoise will determine your baking time. Usually it takes 15-22 minutes.
- Once baked it should be golden on top but soft to touch
- Allow to cool before use
My personal tip is to put the mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the tray so you get an even layer.
dacquoise
