Chocolate and Vanilla Vacherin – a delicious recipe with egg whites, sugar, powdered sugar, milk, chocolate, egg yolks. Easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
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The process of baking meringue is a cross between baking it and drying it.
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Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
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Prepare the meringue cake layer: Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy.
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Make a French meringue by adding the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip to stiff but not dry peaks, about 7 minutes.
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Delicately fold in the powdered sugar with a rubber spatula.
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It is important to fold as gently as possible to avoid deflating the meringue.
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Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip.
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Draw 2 (8-inch) circles on a sheet of parchment paper by tracing around the outside of an 8-inch cake pan with a pen.
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Turn the paper over so the drawing is face down (so that the ink does not bake into the meringue) and place on a baking sheet.
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To pipe the disks, hold the pastry bag at a slight angle about 1 1/2 inches above the parchment paper.
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This height and angle allows the piped meringue to hold the full shape of the 3/4-inch tip.
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Start at the center of the circle and pipe the meringue in a spiral to the edge of the outline.
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(I work counter-clockwise because I am right-handed.)
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If the meringue breaks while you are piping it, just continue where it broke.
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If any air bubbles appear on the disk, go back and fill them in with the extra meringue left in the piping bag.
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It takes practice to get the disks perfectly round.
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Don't worry if yours are slightly misshapen.
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You can gently scrape away the imperfections after the disks are baked.
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At this time, pipe additional swirls that are about 2-inches wide and the height of your cake mold.
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These will be used to decorate the outside of the cake.
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Bake the meringue disks until they are firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
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If the meringue begins to take on color while baking, lower the oven temperature by 50 degrees F (10 C).
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Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack until the meringue disks have completely cooled.
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If you have the time, turn off the oven and cool the meringue on the baking sheet in the oven.
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This will take about 1 hour and will allow the meringue to dry completely.
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While the meringue disks are baking, prepare the ice cream.
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Prepare the ice cream and allow enough time for them to harden in the freezer.
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Have the ice bath ready before you begin.
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To prepare an ice bath, fill a 4-quart bowl with ice cubes.
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Generously sprinkle salt over the ice and add water to cover the ice.
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Place a clean, dry 2-quart bowl over the ice bath.
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To prepare the chocolate ice cream base: Heat the milk and chopped chocolate together in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan (this will keep the milk from burning) over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
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While the milk is heating, combine the sugar and egg yolks and whisk until thoroughly incorporated and thick.
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Temper the egg mixture by pouring about half of the hot milk into it and whisk well.
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Now pour the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot milk and chocolate.
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Cook over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.
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The mixture has finished cooking when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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Use the following method to tell if it is finished: Quickly dip the spatula into the hot mixture and hold it horizontally in front of you.
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With the tip of your finger, wipe a clean line down the center of the spatula.
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If the mixture holds and does not fill in the line, it is ready to be removed from the heat.
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If the line fills with liquid, the mixture must be cooked a little longer.
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Repeat the test every 30 seconds until ready.
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At no time should the mixture begin to boil.
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If you see bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture thoroughly to cool it down.
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Once the mixture has finished cooking, pour it into a clean bowl and set aside to cool.
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If you want to reduce the cooling time, you can cool the chocolate ice cream base over an ice bath.
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When the mixture is cool, spin it according to the type of ice cream machine you are using.
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The ice cream is ready when it is creamy and smooth, like the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
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Place the ice cream in an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use.
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While the chocolate ice cream base is cooling, prepare the vanilla ice cream base.
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The technique is the same as above; heat the milk, cream, honey and vanilla bean in a nonreactive 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge.
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Before adding the vanilla bean, use a sharp paring knife to slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.
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Separate the seeds from the skin by scraping the blade of the knife along the inside of the bean.
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Add the seeds and the skin to the mixture.
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While the milk is heating, combine the sugar and egg yolks and whisk until thoroughly incorporated and thick.
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Temper the egg mixture, then pour the tempered egg mixture into the hot milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened enough to coat the back of the spatula.
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Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into the bowl placed over the ice bath.
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Remove the vanilla bean.
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Stir the mixture occasionally to distribute the cooler parts.
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When completely cooled, remove the bowl from the ice bath and puree the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
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Spin the ice cream in your ice cream machine and store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.
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The next step is to mold the ice cream into the cake pan.
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Line a cake pan with parchment.
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You may need to slightly soften the ice cream.
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Make a 1 1/2?inch thick layer of the chocolate ice cream in the bottom of the cake pan.
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Make a 1 1/2?inch thick layer of the vanilla ice cream on top of the chocolate.
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Place the cake pan in the freezer and let harden.
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If you want to decorate the ice sculpture with ice cream balls, use an ice cream scoop to shape the remaining ice cream into ice cream balls of various sizes.
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Place the scoops on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until hardened.
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Once the meringue disks are baked and the ice cream is molded, it is time to assemble the Vacherin.
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Remove the cake pan from the freezer.
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It may be necessary to dip the pan in warm water for a few seconds to unmold the ice cream.
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Once unmolded, place a meringue disk on top of the molded chocolate ice cream.
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Cover with a plate or cardboard cake circle and flip so the vanilla is now on top.
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Place a meringue disk on top of the vanilla and place the molded cake back in the freezer.
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To make the whipped cream: Use a sharp knife to slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.
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Separate the seeds from the outside skin by scraping the blade of the knife along the inside of the bean.
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Place the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla seeds in a medium-size bowl and whip to stiff peaks with an electric mixer on medium-high speed.
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Remove the Vacherin from the freezer.
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Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star tip with the whipped cream and use it to decorate the top and side.
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Using a turntable will make this task easier.
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Keep the Vacherin in the freezer until ready to serve.
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It is easiest to cut the cake with a hot serrated knife.
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To heat the knife, dip it in a tall container filled with hot water before each cut and wipe off the excess water.
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
No additional tips available.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 16 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 5 large egg whites, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups whole milk, and more.
Yes, Chocolate and Vanilla Vacherin falls under the General category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently before serving.