What Is Dacquoise And How Does It Differ From Meringue In Cakes?

Dacquoise is an impressive French dessert, typically made with meringue and whipped cream or buttercream. But the term also refers to a type of crisp and chewy meringue, which is made with nuts — either almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios. 

In their most basic form, meringues are a dessert made by whipping raw egg whites with sugar and using some form of heat to set them. However, meringues also come in a range of different styles depending on where they're from and exactly how they're made; Italian or French meringues are different from Swiss, for example. Depending on how they're prepared and how delicate they are, they can also be used for a vast array of desserts from a showstopping baked Alaska to a comforting lemon meringue pie.

For dacquoise, the nutty meringues are piped into circles, baked, and then assembled into layers sandwiched with cream. The whole process takes several hours since the meringue layers need to dry out so that they become light and crisp. There are also a number of different variations on the dessert, depending on the fillings and flavors used.

According to French culinary bible "Larousse Gastronomique," Dacquoise is a French gâteau rather than a cake, and hails from south-western France — it takes its name from the town, Dax. To enhance the meringue's signature nutty flavor, it's worth blitzing the nuts in a food processor and roasting them for a richer taste before mixing them with the sugar. Alternatively, you can use fine almond flour mixed with cornstarch, sugar, and salt, and fold it into the whipped meringue mixture.

While the nuttiness is key, you can also add different flavors and fillings to a classic dacquoise. Chocolate works beautifully with the nuts, and there are a few ways to incorporate it. You can add cocoa powder to the meringues themselves — just whisk it in gently once you've reached the stiff peaks stage. Another way is to add melted chocolate to the buttercream before layering the dessert. Try Ina Garten's secret to irresistible chocolate buttercream, which involves adding egg yolk. Or take it to the next level and incorporate orange zest or Grand Marnier for a chocolate orange twist. You can also use a chocolate hazelnut spread, like in these chocolate meringues.

Fruit is another great addition to the dessert — especially strawberries, according to "Larousse Gastronomique." Sandwich your choice of berries between the layers and use them to top the finished dacquoise. Try stirring lemon curd into your cream for a brighter flavor. You could even add fruity ice cream or sorbet to the layers.

Just as you can make French, Swiss, or Italian buttercream, meringues also come in these three varieties, and they're all quite distinct. Dacquoise often uses Swiss meringue, which is less voluminous than other types and has a marshmallow-like chew as well as being light and crisp — perfect for assembling into layers. Made by whisking over heat, it's also sturdier than the other types and ideal for desserts such as with a kiwi lime pavlova or one that features raspberries.

Glossy Italian meringue holds its shape well, which makes it a great option for frosting or piping onto desserts. Trickier to make than Swiss or French styles, it involves making a warm sugar syrup that needs to be combined with the egg whites to essentially cook them. Because of this, it doesn't actually need to be baked before you eat it.

French meringue, on the other hand, is the lightest and least stable of the three — though many people believe it's also the easiest to make since the process just involves whisking the egg whites with the sugar. Because there's no heat involved, it needs to be baked — or it can also be folded into other batters such as a molten chocolate soufflé to add more air and lightness.