Copycat Zippy's Chocolate Dream Cake

Ingredients

  • Meringue:
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1-3/4 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 egg whites (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Frosting:
  • 4 cups whipped cream
  • 1 thick (king-sized) chocolate candy bar

Preparation

Step 1

Combine cocoa powder in hot water in mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve; cool.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottoms of 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment (or make 2 cake layers and 12 cupcakes).

Add oil, vanilla and egg yolks to cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

To make meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually add meringue to chocolate batter and stir until incorporated. Pour into baking pans and bake 30 minutes, until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack, then remove from pans.

Frost between layers, top and sides with whipped cream. Use a vegetable peeler to peel curls off sides of chocolate bar and use to garnish cake.