Make Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Cake
A delectable, creamy and crunchy chocolate and hazelnut praline cake recipe that will get your taste buds buzzing. It looks superb and might even have your family members and friends asking for the recipe. You can tell them where to look!
Ingredients
- 1 sponge cake
- 120 g / 4 oz chocolate, chopped
- 400 ml / 14 fl oz cream
- 2 tbsp caster sugar (very fine sugar)
- 300 g / 10.5 oz peeled roasted hazelnuts
- ½ tbsp vanilla essence
- 320 g / 11.5 oz sugar
- 80 ml / 2.75 fl oz milk
- 3 tbsp cognac
Steps
- Make a sponge cake. For this, you need look no further than wikiHow's sponge cake recipe.
- Cut the sponge cake. This recipe suggests cutting the cake in half. However, you can make as many layers as you wish. Just don't make them too thinly or they might fall apart.<p>
- Use a serrated knife, and remove a small layer from the top of the cake to flatten it out.
- Start from either side gently make a slice through the middle of the side of the cake and while turning it around, slice the cake in half. Do this while turning the cake as it will make a more even cut.
- Make the praline. Heat a saucepan over a medium temperature and when hot, add the sugar. When it begins to caramelize, gently start to stir it bit by bit.<p>
- Wait until it is completely caramelized and has turned a light caramel colour. Once this happened, you can add the hazelnuts and vanilla. Mix well until the hazelnuts are thoroughly coated.
- Tip them out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and leave them to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate. Fill a saucepan about 1 third full with water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Then rest a bowl on top, add the chocolate and leave it to melt. Stir a little for it to melt completely and then take it off the heat.
- Make the filling. Pour the cream into the mixer's bowl and begin to whip it at a medium speed. As soon as it starts to thicken, add the caster sugar, then raise the speed and whip until it thickens and becomes fluffy. Pour in the melted chocolate and whip once again until combined.
- Crush the praline. When the praline has cooled thoroughly, place it on a chopping board and bash it up with a rolling pin. Then press a lot of weight down onto the rolling pin to crush the praline into small pieces. If it's at all soft or warm then this won't work!
- Moisten the sponge cake. First mix the cognac and the milk, then take one half of the sponge cake and using a pastry brush, paint one side with milk mixture. Turn it over and do the same on the other side, then repeat with the other half of the cake.
- Frost the cake. It's best to Make Quick Fudge Icing the cake on the plate or tray you will serve it on. It could fall apart if you move it afterwards.
- Put a dollop of the chocolate cream on top of the bottom half of the cake and spread it out.
- Then sprinkle over a layer of the hazelnut praline and put the other half of the sponge on top. Add a dollop of chocolate cream to this layer and thickly spread it across.
- Start coating the sides of the cake with the chocolate cream. Work your way all the way around until the cake is smothered.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining praline.
- Slice and serve. You can either slice and serve the cake straight away, or chill it in the fridge for a while - however you prefer.
- Finished.
Tips
- To make it easier to clean the pan after making the praline, fill it with water and put it back on the heat.
- The chocolate can also be melted in the microwave.
Things You'll Need
- 1 mixer with whisk attachment
- 1 rubber spatula
- 2 saucepans
- 1 bowl
- 1 spoon
- 1 wooden spoon
- parchment paper
- 1 chopping board
- 1 serrated knife
- 1 brush
