Dan Lepard's Mont Blanc layer cake recipe

To whisk your Christmas into full snow-capped alpine splendour, here's an easy but wowing dessert, in which crisp meringue is layered with a chestnut and ricotta cream. The whites from 5 medium eggs 200g caster sugar, plus extra depending on taste 125g icing sugar 300g tinned unsweetened chestnut purée 350ml double cream 150g ricotta The seeds from 1 vanilla pod 75g dark chocolate, melted Cover three baking trays with foil. (I use foil for this because it doesn't wobble around as much as paper when you're spreading the uncooked meringue.) With a lightly buttered finger, trace the outline of an 18cm circle (or thereabouts) on each foil-covered tray. You need room in the oven to bake all three meringues at once, so if your oven has only two shelves, you'll need to squeeze three smaller circles on to two trays instead. Gently warm the egg whites and the mixing bowl (over a pan of very lightly simmering water, for instance, though take care the bowl doesn't come into contact with the water, otherwise the egg whites will cook), then, using an electric whisk, beat the whites to a stiff froth. Sprinkle a quarter of the caster sugar at a time over the whites and whisk through on high speed until the grains disappear and the mixture ends up very thick and glossy. Sift and fold in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth, then dollop a third of the meringue mix on to each prepared foil circle and spread into a disc with a spatula. Bake at 140C (120C fan-assisted)/285F/gas mark 1 for about 90 minutes, or until crisp, slightly beige coloured and with a firm crust. Remove and set aside to cool. In a bowl, beat the chestnut purée, 250ml double cream, ricotta, vanilla and enough sugar gently to sweeten it, until very thick. Peel one cold meringue from the foil and place on a serving plate. Spread with a third of the chestnut cream and swirl melted chocolate all over. Repeat with a second meringue, chestnut cream and chocolate, and top with the last meringue. Whip 100ml cream until thick, spoon this on to the meringue top to make a peak, then pipe on the last of the chestnut cream in a swirl. Drizzle with more melted chocolate and serve. danlepard.com/guardian