Chocolate cake with beer and meringue

Ingredients:

Cake

• 300 g butter, cut into pieces
• 180 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 180 g sugar-free chocolate, chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 tbsp. sugar turbinado
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup dark Guinness beer
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Butter, for greasing the pan

Meringue

• 60 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 30 g butter
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 23cm springform pan with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the sponge cake: Melt the bitter, unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly.
3. Crack the eggs into a heatproof bowl and add the turbinado sugar. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
   
   Heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Then pour the egg mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.
4. Pour the beer into a saucepan, add the vanilla extract, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Reduce the mixer speed to low and, while continuing to whisk the egg mixture, add the beer mixture first, then the melted chocolate. Gradually add the butter and mix until smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake the cake until the surface springs back when pressed, about 35 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 1 hour, then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.
6. Prepare the meringue: Melt chocolate, butter and corn syrup in the microwave.
7. In a heatproof bowl, combine granulated sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and 1/3 cup water. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and mix with a mixer on low speed.
   
   Then, gradually increasing the mixer speed, beat until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and continue beating until the meringue has cooled and the mixture is fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then the melted chocolate and mix gently.
8. Place the meringue on the sponge cake and put the cake in a cool place.