Chocolate Hazelnut Cake With Praline Chocolate Crunch Recipes

HAZELNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE AND MILK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with vegetable spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone baking mat; set aside.
• Make the sponge cake: Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor with 1/4 cup sugar. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and hazelnut mixture; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whole eggs, the yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and almond extract on high speed until thick and pale yellow in color, and mixture holds a thick ribbon when whisk is lifted from bowl, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer; gently and quickly fold in flour mixture. Gradually drizzle in oil, while folding.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Set on prepared baking sheet, and bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn cake out immediately onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 1 hour.
• Make the buttercream: In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (but not touching) simmering water, whisk egg whites, sugar, and salt until warm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat until stiff peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually beat in butter, piece by piece. When all the butter has been added, mixture will break but it will become smooth as you continue to beat. Beat in vanilla. Divide buttercream in half, returning one half to the mixer bowl to make the chocolate flavor and setting aside the remaining half for the praline buttercream.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Slowly beat into buttercream in mixer. Add cocoa mixture and beat until buttercream is cooled; set aside.
• Using a small offset spatula, spread praline paste onto a clean work surface. Smooth paste with a spatula, working out any lumps. Add 1/2 cup reserved buttercream to praline paste and fold it into buttercream. Once the paste and buttercream are fully combined and there are no lumps, fold praline mixture into remaining reserved buttercream.
• Using a serrated knife, trim top of cake to make level. Cut cake horizontally into even thirds. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate and top with a 1/3- to 1/2-inch layer of praline buttercream. Place second layer on top; top with remaining praline buttercream. Top with remaining layer.
• Spread a thin layer of the chocolate buttercream over the tops and sides of the cake to cover, creating a "crumb" layer. Transfer to refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Spread tops and sides of cake with remaining chocolate buttercream; serve.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE CHOCOLATE CRUNCH

Steps:

• Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase to high heat and cook without stirring until light amber in color, about 6 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts, then pour onto a parchment lined sheet tray, separating nuts. Let cool.
• Transfer candied nuts to a food processor. Add vegetable oil and puree until smooth to make praline paste.
• Place both chocolates and 4 Tbsp of praline paste in a medium bowl. Reserve remaining praline paste for mousse. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie) and stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in salt and cereal. Spread out a thin layer (between 1/8" to 1/4") on a parchment lined sheet tray. Chill until set, about 20-30 minutes.
• Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Line a 17x11x1" sheet pan with a butter parchment paper.
• Sift together flour and cocoa powder twice and set aside.
• Separate 4 eggs, placing yolks in a large bowl and whites in a medium bowl. Beat yolks with 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer until thick and pale in color. Add the remaining whole eggs, one at a time, blending well between additions.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and corn syrup until slightly thickened and frothy. Add egg whites to yolk mixture and beat to beat.
• Add flour-cocoa mixture and fold to blend. Spread out on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool completely and then invert cake a peel off parchment. Brush cake with brandy.
• Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Puree hot cream, ground hazelnuts, and salt in a food processor. Let cool to room temperature.
• With machine running, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Puree until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to use. Return to room temperature before use.
• Combine chocolate, praline paste, and butter in a medium bowl.
• Bring 3/4 cup cream to a boil and pour over chocolate mixture. Let stand for 1 minute before stirring. Stir until melted and mixture is smooth.
• Beat remaining cup of chilled cream to soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Spread hazelnut ganache over soaked cake and chill in freezer for 15 minutes.
• Spread praline mousse over set ganache and chill in freezer for another 15 minutes until set.
• Cut cake crosswise into thirds. Stack layers on top of each other. Trim edges. Place in refrigerator and chill overnight.
• Let cake stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Break up praline chocolate crunch into large shards and arrange on top of cake.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE CHOCOLATE CRUNCH

Steps:

• For praline chocolate crunch:
• Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until amber in color, 7-8 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts, then pour onto 1 prepared sheet, separating nuts. Let cool.
• Transfer candied nuts to a food processor. Add hazelnut oil and purée until smooth to make praline paste.
• Combine both chocolates and 3 tablespoons praline paste in a medium metal bowl (reserve remaining praline paste for praline mousse layer). Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in salt, then cereal. Spread out in a thin layer (about 1/8") on second prepared baking sheet. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Cover and chill remaining praline paste.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 17x11x1" sheet pan with parchment paper; butter paper. Sift flour and cocoa powder into a medium bowl and set aside. Separate 4 eggs, placing yolks in a large bowl and whites in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat yolks with 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until thick and light yellow, about 3 minutes. Beat in 4 whole eggs, one at a time, blending well between additions.
• Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and corn syrup until slightly thickened and frothy, about 2 minutes. Add egg-white mixture to egg-yolk mixture and beat to blend. Add flour-cocoa powder mixture; fold just to blend. Spread out evenly on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Invert cake onto a large cutting board or baking sheet and peel off parchment. Brush cake all over with brandy. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For nut ganache:
• Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Purée hot cream, hazelnut butter, and salt in a food processor. Let cool to room temperature. With machine running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, puréeing until smooth between additions. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Return to room temperature before using.
• Praline Mousse:
• Combine chocolate, praline paste, and butter in a medium bowl. Bring 3/4 cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate mixture. Let stand for 1 minute, then stir until melted and smooth. Beat remaining 1 cup chilled cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Assembly:
• Spread nut ganache over cake and chill in freezer until set, about 15 minutes. Spread mousse over ganache and chill in freezer until set, about 15 minutes. Cut cake crosswise into thirds; stack layers on top of each other. Trim edges, then spread Chocolate Glaze epi:recipelinkover top and sides of cake. Freeze until set, about 1 hour. Place in refrigerator and chill overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Tent with foil and keep chilled.
• Let cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Break up praline chocolate crunch into large shards and arrange on top of cake. Garnish with roasted hazelnuts.

HAZELNUT PRALINE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl
• Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; mix to fully incorporate
• Divide batter evenly into 3 - 10" round cake pans
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
• Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Roast hazelnuts for about 8-10 mins, then place the hazelnuts between 2 towels and rub the hazelnuts to get the skin off
• In a saucepan, caramelize the sugar one third at a time. Place 1/3 cup of sugar into pan at medium heat, stir and let melt until it reaches a caramel colour. Add in the remainder slowly, making sure to stir continuously
• Once all sugar is caramelized, throw in the hazelnuts and coat them in the caramelized sugar
• Immediately transfer to oil-sprayed cookie sheet. Let the praline cool until hardened
• Break up praline into pieces, process in food processor until it reaches a super fine consistency
• Using a microwave, melt the milk chocolate in 30s intervals, stir in between intervals until just melted and smooth
• Stir the finely processed praline into the chocolate. The mixture should be grainy, don't worry!
• Bring 300mL of heavy cream to a simmer, then slowly pour it into the chocolate praline mixture and stir until evenly combined
• Pour in the remaining cold 700mL heavy cream, stir until combined. You now have your hazelnut praline mousse
• Place the mousse in the fridge for at least 3 hours until completely cold. Place the beaters of your stand mixer/hand mixer into the fridge as well. You want to make sure everything is really cold, but NOT frozen, in order to be able to whip up the cream.
• When it is cold, whip the mixture on medium speed until medium peak forms. Be careful not to overwhip to avoid curdling and breaking the cream.
• In the microwave or on the stovetop, heat up the heavy cream until simmering
• Place chopped chocolate in a bowl, pour the hot cream over it and stir until completely melted and combined
• Set aside on counter to cool until the ganache is still pourable but not warm anymore
• On a cake board or cake stand, place 1 layer of chocolate cake down
• Add a layer of hazelnut praline mousse
• Repeat until the last layer of cake is on top
• Frost the entire cake in the hazelnut praline mousse
• Pour the cooled ganache on top and allow to drip down the edges

CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• Combine both chocolates and melt them over a double boiler. Whisk the yolks and 1/2 of the sugar in a mixer equipped with a whisk, set aside at room temperature. In a separate bowl, whisk the whipping cream to the soft peak stage and set aside, refrigerated. Combine the 3 egg whites with the remaining sugar and whip to a soft peak stage. Pour the melted chocolate into the yolk and sugar mixture and whip at high speed until the mixture begins to pale and increase in volume. Fold in the whipped egg whites and then the whipped cream until smooth and homogenous. Pour into individual 3-inch diameter plastic round bottom (about 1/2 cup capacity) molds and freeze.
• Combine and melt the Gandujia and the hazelnut paste over a double boiler until smooth. Set aside at room temperature. Add the royaltine chips and the peanut oil and fold into the chocolate mixture until smooth. While the mixture is still warm, spread it on a sheetpan in a 1/2-inch layer, evening the surface with the aid of an offset spatula. Refrigerate until solid and then cut into 3-inch circles and refrigerate. These circles will serve as the base for the mousse cakes.
• Combine both of the ingredients over a double boiler and melt until smooth. Allow to cool to a warm stage and fill a container of an electric spray gun with the mixture. The spray gun should be new or has never been used for any purpose other than food.
• To assemble cakes: Remove the crunchy 3-inch discs from the refrigerator and place on plates. Remove mousse molds and unmold on top of the disc. These should be kept frozen until ready to spray with the chocolate mist. Remove mousse cakes from the freezer and spray the chocolate domes liberally to create a velour type finish, while still frozen. Refrigerate until set. Serve the mousse cakes with chocolate sauce and chocolate decorations of your choice.

CHOCOLATE CRUNCHY CAKE

Steps:

• To glaze the nuts: Preheat the oven to 275 F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the nuts just begin darken. Remove and let cool just enough to handle, then rub the hot nuts with a towel to remove the bitter skins. Let cool completely. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and cook without stirring until golden-brown in color, 300 F on a candy thermometer (hard-crack stage). Remove from heat and stir in the nuts. Immediately lift out the nuts with a wire lifter or slotted spoon and drain slightly over the pan, then spread on the greased baking sheet. Let cool. Set aside 45 of the best hazelnuts for garnish. To make the praline feuillantines: In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolates together. Stir in the nuts and crushed crepes and blend. Spread out thin on a piece of parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm. To make the praline mousse: Bring the cream just to the boiling point over medium-high heat. Put the chocolate and hazelnut (praline) paste in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Blend well and let cool. Fold in the whipped cream. Place fifteen 2-1/2-inch ring molds on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cut the feuillantine into 2-1/2-inch circles and press one into the bottom of each mold. Fill each mold with praline mousse. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Turn out of the molds, place on wire racks over the parchment-lined baking sheets, and return to the freezer. To make the coffee crème anglaise: Add the coffee grounds to the milk in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light in color and thickened. Whisk the coffee-milk mixture into the egg mixture and put back in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove and strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To make the paradise icing: Bring the water, sugar, cocoa powder, and cream to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the cream mixture over it. Blend well and stir until glossy. Let cool until lukewarm. To assemble: Take the frozen molds out of the freezer and leave on the wire rack over the baking sheet. Pour the icing over the cakes to form a smooth coating. When the icing has congealed, lift a mold with a wide spatula and place on a dessert plate. With a knife which has been dipped in hot water, cut the cake in half and spread the sides apart. Repeat with remaining cakes. Spoon the coffee crème anglaise on the plate in the center opening of each cake. Garnish each with three glazed hazelnuts and a mint leaf.

MILK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE WITH HAZELNUT CRUNCH CRUST

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line bottom of 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Spoon off foam from top of butter and discard. Spoon clear yellow butter into small metal bowl, leaving water and milk solids in bottom of pan. Add vanilla to butter in bowl; set clarified butter aside.
• Sift flour and cocoa powder together 3 times into medium bowl. Whisk eggs and sugar in large metal bowl to blend. Place bowl with egg mixture in large skillet of barely simmering water; whisk constantly until egg mixture is lukewarm (105°F), about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from water. Place bowl with clarified butter in hot water in same skillet over low heat to keep warm.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Sift 1/3 of flour-cocoa mixture over egg mixture and gently fold in with rubber spatula. Fold in remaining flour-cocoa mixture in 2 more additions. Fold 1 cup of cake batter into warm clarified butter until incorporated. Using rubber spatula, gently fold butter-cake batter mixture into remaining cake batter.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean and top springs back slightly when gently pressed, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)
• Run knife between pan sides and cake to loosen. Invert cake onto rack; remove parchment. Using long serrated knife, trim top of cake horizontally, forming 3/4-inch-high cake layer. Using bottom of 8-inch-diameter springform pan as guide, trim around sides of cake to form 8-inch round cake. Set cake aside.
• For hazelnut crunch:
• Line bottom of 8-inch-diameter springform pan with parchment paper. Pour enough water into large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch; bring to simmer. Remove skillet from heat. Place gianduja in medium metal bowl; set bowl in hot water in skillet. Stir until gianduja is melted and smooth. Stir in cereal and nuts. Spread crunch evenly over parchment in pan. Place cake atop crunch layer, pressing to adhere. Chill until crunch is firm, about 1 hour.
• For mousse:
• Place gianduja in metal bowl. Pour enough water into large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch; bring to simmer. Remove from heat; place bowl with gianduja in hot water in skillet. Stir until gianduja is smooth. Remove bowl from water; cool gianduja to lukewarm.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream and salt in another bowl until very soft peaks form (when bowl is tilted, cream should be fluffy but still pourable and flow to one side). Mix 3 tablespoons water into melted gianduja. Pour whipped cream over and fold into gianduja just until incorporated (mousse will be very soft).
• Brush top of chilled cake with liqueur. Spread mousse over cake in pan. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Run knife between cake and pan sides to loosen. Soak kitchen towel in hot water; wring out water. Wrap hot wet towel around pan sides and hold 30 seconds. Carefully remove pan sides from cake; smooth mousse with knife if necessary. Place cake on pan bottom on rack set over baking sheet. Sift cocoa powder lightly over top of cake. Using stencils such as snowflakes or stars, sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Transfer to platter and serve.
• *Many supermarkets sell pre-husked hazelnuts. if you can't find them, here's how to husk whole hazelnuts: Scatter nuts on rimmed baking sheet and toast at 350°F until skins darken, 12 to 15 minutes. Wrap warm hazelnuts in kitchen towel and rub together to remove skins.