Triple Layer Hazelnut Spice Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Generously butter two 20cm sandwich tins (ideally about 4.5cm deep or deeper) and line the bases with baking parchment. Put the hazelnuts into a food processor with 2 tbsp of the sugar, then pulse until finely chopped. Don't expect them to go as fine as ground almonds and avoid over-processing, as this can make the nuts greasy.
• Put the butter, milk and coffee powder into a small pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Set aside.
• Now start the sponge. Crack the eggs into the bowl of a tabletop mixer, add the rest of the sugar and beat for 5-10 mins (or beat with an electric hand mixer in a large deep bowl for 15-20 mins) or until thick and billowy, and the mixture leaves a trail that holds for a couple of seconds. It is really important that the mixture has thickened, almost doubling in size, in order to achieve a light sponge.
• Mix the cornflour, plain flour and 1/2 tsp salt, and sift onto the whisked mixture. Using a large metal spoon, fold in very carefully. Sprinkle in the ground nuts, then fold these in too. Pour the warm milk mix around the edge of the bowl, and fold this in. Don't rush the folding, and continue with a light lifting and cutting motion until ribbons of liquid stop appearing. Divide the batter between the tins, then bake for 25 mins until risen to the middle and a burnished gold.
• Loosen the sides of the cakes with a palette knife, then cool in the tins on a rack for 20 mins (the cakes will level off, and possibly go a bit wrinkly, but that's normal). Carefully remove from the tins and cool, paper-side down.
• Make the syrup and the frosting while you wait. Put the sugar and 4 tbsp water into a small pan. Bring to the boil and leave for 1 min then take off the heat. Stir in the coffee and alcohol. Beat the mascarpone, hazelnut chocolate spread and coffee together with a wooden spoon, until silky and even.
• To assemble, cut the cold cakes horizontally across the middle, using a long serrated knife. With a pastry brush, dampen the cut surfaces all over with the syrup. Use it all. Put one cake layer onto a plate or stand, cut-side up. Spoon on 3 generous dollops of the frosting, then spread to the edges with a palette knife. The frosting should be about 5mm deep. Repeat with the next two layers. When you come to the final layer, place it cut-side down, so that the top of the cake is smooth. Paddle the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. The layer on the top can be thin. Clean the knife then use it to press a neat ring of nuts into the frosting on the side of the cake. Brush any excess away.
• For the topping, put 3 tbsp of the cream, 1 tsp icing sugar and 1 tbsp milk into a small bowl. Put the rest of the cream, milk and sugar, plus most of the dissolved coffee into a larger bowl. Whip the white cream, then the coffee cream, until they look like soft cappuccino froth, thick but still able to flow from a spoon. Pour most of the coffee cream onto the cake and push it out to cover the top. Whisk a little more coffee into what is left, so that it turns a few shades darker.
• To decorate with a characteristic latte 'tree' shape, load a pointy teaspoon with a little of the white cream. Start at the base of the tree, just right of the centre of the cake. Push the spoon into the coffee cream and let the white cream flow slowly. As it flows, drag the spoon then pull it gently away, to make a leaf-like shape. Repeat with more white cream on the left to make another leaf, then repeat 3-4 times, working up the cake top graduating from large to small leaves. Use the same technique to sweep a couple of arc shapes around the edge of the pattern.
• Use the dark cream to add detail to each leaf - you can paint this on with the tip of a teaspoon or a clean cocktail stick. Use a cocktail stick to drag the points of each leaf up and outwards. Draw a line down from the top of the 'tree' to the bottom to finish. The cake will keep for up to 2 days. Loosely cover any cut edges but avoid covering the cake directly as you could damage the decoration. Serve from the fridge or at cool room temperature.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter and flour 3 (8 inch) round cake pans.
• 2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
• 3. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer mix the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beat well after each egg is added. Beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately.
• 4. When the batter is well mixed and smooth, divide it into the 3 cake pans and bake approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• 5. While waiting for the cakes to cool make the butter cream: Beat the butter, shortening and salt together until creamy. Add half the confectioner's sugar and beat until fluffy (5 minutes). Combine vanilla extract and heavy cream. Gradually beat in the remaining confectioner's sugar alternating with the cream mixture until light and fluffy.
• 6. If the cake layers have domed a little slice off the tops with a long serrated knife so they are flat and even.
• 7. Place the first layer cut side down on whatever you're going to serve it on. Spoon about 3/4 cup of butter cream onto the center of the cake layer. Spread it to the edges. Repeat with the remaining layers. Garnish the top with nuts and cocoa powder

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F on convection or 350 degrees F in a regular oven.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the hazelnut and all purpose flour, breaking up any lumps. Set aside.
• In the mixing bowl of a 20-quart standing mixer set on high speed, whip together the whole eggs and 2 pounds of sugar until tripled in volume, pale yellow and forming thick ribbons, warming the bowl of the mixer with a propane torch to increase the volume of the eggs. Set aside.
• In another mixing bowl of a 20-quart standing mixer set on high speed, whip the egg whites and remaining 1 3/4 pounds sugar until thick, glossy, and firm peaks form. Fold the flour mixture into the whole egg and sugar mixture, and then fold in the egg whites.
• Divide the batter equally onto 6 (18-by-26-inch) parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until the corners brown and the batter doesn't adhere to your fingers when you touch the cake, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• To assemble the cake: Place a layer of the hazelnut cake on a prepared cake board or inverted sheet pan. Brush with about one-sixth of the simple syrup and spread a generous layer of the buttercream over top. Place another layer of the cake on top and soak with the simple syrup. Spread a layer of buttercream and then a layer of ganache. Place the next layer of cake and repeat the previous steps until you have used all 6 layers of hazelnut sponge cake, ending with a layer of buttercream on the top. Chill the cake completely to set. When chilled, trim the sides, and frost with a final layer of buttercream, reserving some buttercream for garnish. Return to the refrigerator again to set the top. Spread the remaining ganache over the top to make a smooth finished coat. Trim any excess ganache from the sides of the cake. Press the toasted and chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake. Decorate the cake with buttercream piped from a star tip filled pastry bag, and decorate with the gilded hazelnuts.
• Combine all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the alcohol has evaporated. Cool completely.
• Pour sugar and just enough water to moisten it in a large heavy bottomed pot. Bring sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Brush down any sugar crystals that form on the side of the pot with pastry brush dipped in water. Once the sugar has come to a boil, stop stirring and cook the sugar to the soft ball stage or 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. When the sugar reaches 240 degrees F, reduce the heat to low and whip the egg whites on high speed in a 20-quart standing mixer to firm peaks. While the mixer is on high, carefully pour the melted sugar into the whipped egg whites, being careful not to burn yourself on the molten sugar. Once the sugar is combined with the egg whites, reduce the mixer speed to medium, and continue to whip the egg whites and sugar until completely cool, approximately 30 minutes. When the egg white meringue is cool, turn the mixer back up to high, and gradually add the cubed butter. The butter may separate and become watery, but continue to whip on high until the water is re-incorporated. It is very important that the egg white meringue is completely cool so as not to melt the butter. When all the butter has been added, continue to beat until the buttercream is smooth and creamy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the coffee and vanilla extracts.
• Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Bring the heavy cream and Frangelico to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes and then whisk together until smooth and all of the chocolate is melted. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature so it reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Lightly spray the hazelnuts with nonstick cooking spray and wipe off any excess. Place a single nut on the gold leaf and gently brush the gold onto the nut. Set aside to garnish the finished cake.

Steps:

• To make the cake, grease 2 (9 by 2-inch) round cake pans with shortening and line bottoms with parchment rounds. Grease parchment and dust each pan with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess. Set pans aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, liqueur, and hazelnut extract until blended and set aside.
• In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer, gently combine on low speed 3 1/3 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and hazelnuts until blended. Add the butter and sour cream and beat on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 1/2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. In 3 separate additions, add the egg mixture to the batter, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Divide batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake on the center rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, discard parchment and cool cakes completely on wire racks, 1 to 2 hours.
• To make the hazelnut filling, in a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
• Sprinkle with flour and whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the sugar and cream and cook, whisking constantly, for 7 to 10 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Stir in the hazelnuts, salt, liqueur, hazelnut extract, and chocolate and cook just until chocolate melts. Set aside in a bowl and cool completely.
• To make the chocolate buttercream frosting, melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over medium heat until smooth. Set aside, off the heat, and cool completely. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar and egg whites until blended. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until mixture reaches 140 degrees F.
• Remove mixture to a large bowl of a stand mixture with a whisk attachment and beat on low speed for 1 minute to cool slightly. Increase speed to high and beat for 4 minutes or until mixture is cool to the touch and doubled in volume. Reduce speed to low and add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, until all of the butter has been added. Continue to beat until mixture looks smooth. Fold in the melted chocolate and the hazelnut extract and beat until fluffy.
• To assemble the cake, split each cake layer horizontally in half to make 4 separate layers. Spread equal amounts of the hazelnut filling between each layer and frost top and sides of cake with the buttercream. To garnish, press chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, pipe rosettes around the top rim using remaining frosting. Place whole hazelnuts and chocolate curls on the top of the cake.
• Tip: To make this cake an easier undertaking, take the time to search out hazelnuts that have already been peeled. If peeled nuts are unavailable, working in batches, boil nuts in 2 cups water along with 2 tablespoons baking soda for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Run nuts under water and slip off skins. Dry the nuts well and toast on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and finely chop and proceed with recipe. If you purchase the nuts already peeled, toast in a 350 degree F oven for only 15 minutes.

Steps:

• FOR CAKE: In a medium bowl soak dried fruit in rum at least an hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then butter paper. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. In a large bowl beat sugar, oil, sour cream, and molasses with a mixer on medium-high until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Strain fruit, adding any liquid to batter and setting aside fruit. Beat in one-third of the flour mixture until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl; add half the milk and mix to combine. Add half the remaining flour mixture then remaining milk, scraping sides of bowl and mixing just to combine between additions. Beat in remaining flour until batter is combined and uniform. Fold in hazelnuts and soaked fruit. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely in pans on wire racks. Remove from pans. If desired, wrap and freeze cakes up to 1 month. *TO TOAST NUTS: Spread hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, shaking pan once or twice. To remove hazelnuts' papery skins, rub warm nuts in a clean, dry kitchen towel until skins come loose. BUTTERCREAM: In an extra-large bowl beat unsalted butter and powdered sugar with a mixer on medium 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy. (The mixture may appear crumbly at first but will come together.) Beat in vanilla. In a large bowl fold together buttercream and Homemade Lemon Curd. Spread a thick layer between cake layers, then frost cake with remaining. Secure cake layers with long skewers, if necessary, until set. Loosely cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Let stand 1 hour before serving. FOR CANDIED HAZELNUTS: Note: Save these until an hour or two before you're ready to top and serve the cake; humidity and temperature can wilt the caramel strands. Set a heavy cutting board or 15x11-inch baking pan along the edge of the counter. (Skewers will wedge under the cutting board while candied hazelnuts set.) Place parchment paper on floor below to catch caramel drips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until toasted. Transfer to a towel; rub to remove loose skins. Gently twist a wood skewer into each hazelnut while warm; set aside. In a medium saucepan stir together sugar, the water, and corn syrup. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down any sugar crystals on sides of saucepan as mixture comes to boil. Bring mixture to boiling over medium-high without stirring. Reduce heat to medium. Once mixture starts to caramelize (about 15 minutes), remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel and lift to see if caramel is ready. When caramel coats hazelnut and drips off in long strands, secure end of skewer under cutting board, letting caramel drip onto the parchment paper below. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel is set, about 15 minutes. Gently twist skewers to release hazelnuts; arrange on cake. TO FINISH: If desired, arrange Candied Hazelnuts or spun sugar on cake. Makes 18 servings.