Making macaron batter

Using a stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar.
Once the eggs start getting foamy, gradually add the white sugar to the mixing bowl in 3 batches and then leave the mixer going until you get to medium-stiff peaks.
At this point add the gel food colouring, if using, and then continue mixing until you have stiff peaks. You’ll know it’s ready when you pull up the whisk and you see a ‘bird’s beak’
In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour and mix so it’s evenly combined.
Then you’re going to add your egg white mixture in 3 batches to the dry ingredients and fold it in using a rubber spatula.
After adding the first batch it’ll be the texture of cookie dough (this is normal) and then by the time the third/last batch is added, you should have a batter that has the texture of ‘wet sand’.
IMPORTANT - do not overmix the batter. You’ll know it’s ready when you can make figure eights when you lift up the spatula or when you drop some batter and it sinks into itself within 15-20 seconds.
The last step is to press the batter against the side of the bowl to pop all the air bubbles (this is optional but helps to ensure there’s no large air bubbles when you start piping).

Piping & resting the macarons

Now transfer the batter into a piping bag with a round piping tip.
Set up your piping station with either a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and place it on an inverted baking sheet (yes you’ll be using the bottom side of your baking sheet).
Optional step but I often print out macaron templates (I use these ones) and then put it underneath my baking mat or parchment paper so that I can use it to ensure each macaron is piped the same size.
Pipe your macarons giving them sufficient space in between as they’ll spread slightly after piping.
If you are seeing a lot of air bubbles, you can carefully drop the pan a few pans to make sure they pop at the surface and/or use a toothpick to pop them.
Let the macarons rest (this could be anywhere from 20min to 2 hours depending on the humidity of your home). If you want to speed up the process, you can use fan on a low setting and point it over the macarons.

Baking and maturing the macarons

Once the tops feel dry to the touch you can bake them in an oven at 300°F for 15-20min depending on the size of the macarons.
Keep a close eye on them in the oven. You should see the ‘feet’ form and the macarons rise in height and then settle slightly as the insides continue to cook through.
Once the macarons are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool on the counter. If done correctly they should peel off the baking mat/paper with ease.
Then once cooled to room temp, transfer them to an airtight container and transfer them to the fridge. Macarons get their distinct chewy texture as a result of letting them mature in the fridge (recommend 1-2 days).
After they’ve matured, they’ll be ready to be filled!

Making the ganache & filling the macarons

Make chocolate ganache by chopping up dark chocolate and then placing in a heat-safe bowl.
Then using the stove, heat up heavy cream until simmering and then pour over the dark chocolate. Let sit for about 30 seconds while it gradually melts the chocolate.
Give the mixture a stir using a small whisk or rubber spatula until it’s evenly mixed and there are no chunks of chocolate left. Then add in your room temperature butter and combine until it’s one smooth luscious mixture.
Once this ganache mixture has cooled to room temp, you can fill a piping bag with it (use a round or star piping tip, depending on the look you want to go for).
Then start filling your macarons, making sure to leave a little space along the edges for the ganache to spread a little when you close the 2 halves.
And repeat this process with all your macarons.

Assembling Macaron Cube

I use royal icing as my glue to assemble the cube because it gives me the flexibility to dye it the same colour as the macarons (that way you don’t see the ‘glue’ as easily in the finished product. You can also use melted chocolate to use as the ‘glue’ as well!
Place dollops of the royal icing and then place the macarons in a row in an alternating pattern (watch the above video for a visual demonstration).
As I learned in making my cube cake, it’ll be very helpful to have a fan nearby blowing on the cake so that the icing hardens more quickly allowing you to move more efficiently.
Continue to stack macarons in an alternating pattern until you have 3 rows x 3 columns x 3 layers (just like a Rubik’s cube!).

Macaron Cube Cake