HappyCook80's Recipe

Chocolate Macaroon Hazelnut Cake

Category: Recipes

Chocolate Macaroon Hazelnut Cake

Plain Meringue Layer:
2 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 cup superfine sugar

Hazelnut Meringue Layers:
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
3 cups toasted hazelnuts, finely ground
4 teaspoons cocoa powder

Filling and Decorations:
3 3/4 cups heavy cream
7 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely grated
small chocolate bar for chocolate curls

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease and line with waxed paper a 9 inch springform pan and line 2 flat baking sheets with waxed paper, each marked with a 9 inch circle.

To make the plain meringue: Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and whisk slowly until they become thick and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk more quickly until the whites form stiff peaks. Sprinkle half the sugar over whites and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the meringue, half at a time, and gently fold it in. Spread mixture into the prepared springform pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until crisp and dry. Remove from the oven, loosen the edges with a narrow spatula, lift out of the pan, and let cool on a wire rack.

To make the hazelnut meringue: Whisk 3 of the egg whites into soft peaks. Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup sugar to form a stiff, glossy meringue. Mix 1 1/2 cups of hazelnuts with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and gently fold in. Spoon half of the mixture on each prepared baking sheet and spread evenly within the marked circles. (If you wish, use a pastry bag with 1/2 inch plain nozzle to pipe meringue in continuous spirals to form discs.)

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until crisp and dry. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks. Reline the baking sheets and repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients to make 2 more discs. Peel off the lining paper once the meringues are cold.

Note: Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until lightly browned and with flaking skins. Pour the hot nuts into a cloth and fold the cloth over them and gently rub to remove the skins. Cool before using.

To make the ganache: Pour the heavy cream into a medium pan and slowly bring to a boil over gentle heat. Take the cream off
the heat and gradually stir in the grated semisweet chocolate until well incorporated. Refrigerate until firm but not set for 1 to 1 1/2 hours ganache must be used while still soft, because it hardens once it is cold. Beat well until the mixture is paler in color.

To assemble the cake: Set aside half the ganache. Use the rest to sandwich together the meringue discs, with the plain disc as the center layer. Spoon 1/3 of the reserved ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 inch plain nozzle. Spread the rest over the top and sides of the cake. Mark the sides with a confectionery comb to make decorative horizontal stripes.

Mark the top of the cake into 12 wedges. Pipe beads of ganache around the base and top of the cake, then along the marked lines. Fill each segment with chocolate curls. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

For chocolate curls, bring chocolate bar to room temperature and shave curls as desired from side of bar, using sharp, swivel-bladed
vegetable peeler.
Serves 12.