Hazelnut Crunch Cake With Honeyed Kumquats Recipes

HAZELNUT CRUNCH CAKE WITH MASCARPONE AND CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake according to package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
• For the crunch:
• Place the toasted nuts close together in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sugar mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cook until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes. Let the bubbles subside then pour the caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the sugar nut mixture cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the sugar nut mixture is hard and cool, top with another piece of parchment paper and pound into small pieces, or place the sugar nut mixture on a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
• For the filling:
• Put the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the Crunch mixture into the whipped cream.
• For the topping:
• Place the chocolate, sugar and zest in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate is finely ground.
• To assemble the cake:
• Put 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with 1-inch of the whipped cream crunch mixture. Top with the second layer of cake and continue frosting the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream crunch mixture. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the ground chocolate. Serve.

HAZELNUT CRUNCH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add rosemary and lemon zest and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add hazelnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until nuts are golden brown and rosemary and lemon zest are crisp, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Add sugar and lemon juice and continue cooking, stirring, until liquid darkens and nuts begin to caramelize, just a few seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break apart into smaller pieces as desired. Crunch can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

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.

HAZELNUT CRUNCH CAKE WITH HONEYED KUMQUATS

Steps:

• For nut crunch:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto foil; cool completely. Coarsely chop nut crunch. Set aside.
• For kumquats:
• Starting at rounded end, cut cross into each kumquat to within 1/4 inch of stem end. Bring wine, sugar, honey, and star anise to boil in heavy large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add kumquats; simmer until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer kumquats to plate; cool. Seed and finely chop enough kumquats to measure 2/3 cup (reserve remaining kumquats). Gently boil kumquat syrup until reduced to 11/4 cups, about 12 minutes. Cool.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch or 17 x 11 x 3/4-inch baking sheet with foil; butter and flour foil. Finely grind nuts with flour in processor; transfer to medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, spice, and salt. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in yolks and extracts. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk in several additions, just until combined. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes for 17 x 11-inch cake and 28 minutes for 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch cake. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around cake to loosen. Turn cake out onto foil-lined rack; cool completely. Cut hazelnut cake crosswise into 3 equal pieces.
• For frosting:
• Combine all ingredients in large bowl; beat to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Place 1 cake piece on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over; sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped kumquats and 1/3 cup nut crunch, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons kumquat syrup. Top with second cake piece. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over; sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped kumquats and 1/3 cup nut crunch, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons kumquat syrup. Top with third cake piece. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Drain remaining kumquats; remove seeds and any attached pulp. Top cake with kumquats, arranging like flowers. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill cake. Store remaining nut crunch and kumquat syrup at room temperature. Press remaining nut crunch around sides of cake. Drizzle 2 tablespoons syrup over cake and serve.

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.