Almond Meringue Layer Cake with Coffee and Chocolate Buttercream

THERE ARE a number of cakes in France made with layers of baked meringue, or meringue and ground nuts, that are filled and frosted with buttercream. If the meringue is made with almonds, the layers are called fonds à succès. Layers made with almond-hazelnut meringue are fonds de progrès. (Another variation can be made with pecans.) The layers are light, sometimes chewy, and have a wonderful roasted-nut flavor.

One of the nicest features of this cake—apart from its lusc