Crunchy meringue, silky mousse, moist chocolate cake and smooth ganache make this
a show-stopping dessert that’s well worth the effort. Starting with room-temperature
ingredients yields the best results (see Room-Temperature Ingredients for Cakes, opposite).
HANDS-ON TIME
1 hour
TOTAL TIME
4½ hours
MAKES
16 to 18 servings
- INGREDIENTS:
- CAKE:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 tsp cider vinegar
- MERINGUE:
- 3 egg whites
- pinch cream of tartar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup ground skinned roasted hazelnuts (about ½ cup whole), see tip opposite
- ½ tsp vanilla
- MOUSSE:
- 1 pkg (7 g) gelatin
- 1 cup hazelnut chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups whipping cream (35%)
- GANACHE:
- 175 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup whipping cream (35%)
- CANDIED HAZELNUTS:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- ½ cup skinned roasted hazelnuts
- CAKE:
- DIRECTIONS:
- CAKE:
- Grease 10-inch (3 L) springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- Whisk in 1 cup water, oil and vanilla; stir in vinegar.
- Scrape into prepared pan.
- Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes.
- Run knife around edge of pan. Invert cake onto rack; peel off paper.
- Let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
- MERINGUE:
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using 10-inch (3 L) springform pan as guide, trace circle onto paper. Turn paper over.
- In bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
- Beat in sugar, 2 tbsp at a time, until stiff glossy peaks form.
- Fold in hazelnuts and vanilla.
- Spoon onto circle, smoothing top.
- Bake on bottom rack in 225°F (110°C) oven until dry and crisp, 1½ to 2 hours.
- Turn off oven; let cool in oven for 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container in cool dry place for up to 5 days.)
- MOUSSE:
- While meringue is cooling, in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp water; set aside.
- In heatproof bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt hazelnut spread with 3 tbsp water, stirring until smooth; stir in butter.
- In microwave, warm gelatin on high until dissolved, about 20 seconds; whisk into hazelnut spread mixture. Set aside and keep warm. (Mixture may separate while standing; whisk to combine.)
- Whip cream; whisk one-third into hazelnut spread mixture.
- Fold in remaining whipped cream.
- ASSEMBLY:
-
- Line bottom of 10-inch (3 L) greased springform pan with parchment paper.
- Cut cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers.
- Place bottom layer, cut side up, in pan; spread 1 cup of the mousse over top.
- Place meringue layer in pan, trimming to fit if necessary; spread 1 cup of the mousse over top.
- Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down; top with remaining mousse.
- Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
- (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap and overwrap in foil. Freeze for up to 2 weeks. Thaw overnight in refrigerator; continue with recipe.)
- GANACHE:
- While cake is chilling, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil; pour over chocolate, whisking until smooth.
- Let stand, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edge of the cake; transfer cake to a rack set over parchment paper.
- Pour ganache over top, smoothing top and sides with a palette knife.
- Refrigerate until almost set and ganache is still shiny yet no longer jiggles, about 30 minutes.
- (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)
CANDIED HAZELNUTS:
- While ganache is setting in the refrigerator, in a shallow saucepan, dissolve sugar and salt in 3 tbsp water over medium-high heat.
- Add hazelnuts; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is light golden, about 8 minutes.
- Spread nut mixture on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Let cool.
- Coarsely chop hazelnuts; sprinkle over the top of the cake.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER EACH OF 18 SERVINGS:
- About 487 cal, 6 g pro, 31 g total fat (11 g sat. fat), 49 g carb, 3 g fibre, 43 mg chol, 131 mg sodium, 263 mg potassium.
- % RDI: 6% calcium, 14% iron, 11% vit A, 11% folate.
TIP FROM THE TEST KITCHEN:
- If you can’t find skinned roasted hazelnuts, roast whole hazelnuts in a 350°F (180°C) oven until the skins crack, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a tea towel and rub off as much of the skin as possible
- GANACHE:
-
- CAKE:
