At any rate, it's better late then never posting.
It's been a crazy week for being on vacation. But it's been heavenly so far enjoying a week where all you have to do is entertain yourself and not anyone else. It's been a highly productive week also, even with nearly cutting my finger off with my jewelers saw.
For Thanksgiving I decided to resurrect a cake from the far past. This cake was found in a Victoria Magazine when I was in High school. This cake is so delicious I used it in my senior year speech class as a demonstration cake. But over the years I lost the recipe and had been hunting it down on the Internet ever since Google has been around. I could not find it. So I went on eBay and bought back issues of Victoria until I finally had the recipe. And now I will post it here, hoping it will never get lost again.
The Hazelnuts after toasting:
The three bowls mixed into one bowl of goodness:
The DISASTER of no Wax Paper! Take a lesson from me kids, wax paper is your friend in this. I had to use the metal mallet to wack out the cakes:
The $30 worth of expensive chocolate:
The delicious slice of goodness:
Hazelnut Cake
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons backing powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1.2 cups finely ground hazelnuts
6 eggs
3 cups of sugar
4 teaspoons kirshwasser (I forgot to buy some, instead I used a shot of Cointreau left over from my party that was used in scrumptious sangria and some vanilla)
Raspberry Filling
1/2 cup of seedless raspberry jam ( I hate jams of all sorts. I hate raspberries too. But I will use it in tonight's recipe for the heck of it.)
Chocolate Icing (more like a moose and I made extra and iced the whole cake in it.)
12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate cut or shaved into small pieces.
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
2-3 tablespoons of kirshwasser (A German cherry liqueur)
Chocolate Glaze
6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate cut or shaved into small pieces
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
3 table spoons sour cream
To Make Hazelnut Cake
1Butter and flour 4 deep 9x2" layer pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Flour and butter the waxed paper. (Do not skip this part. I forgot it for the first time ever and am regretting it) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shift together flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Stir in nuts and set aside.
3 In large mixer bowl, LARGE, beat eggs with electric mixer for about 6 minutes until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating until the constantly. The mixture should be thick and yellow. Add the kirshwasser. Beat well. Set aside.
4. Wash beaters thoroughly. In another large bowl, beat3 cups of cream til it holds it's shape.
5. Fold the flour mixture and whipped cream alternately into the egg mixture. Divide between pans. (I used three cause that's what I had, and ended up making a few cupcakes) Divide batter into pans smoothing the tops.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minuted until cake pulls away from sides and pick inserted into center comes out clean.
7. Cool on rack about 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pan. Remove waxed paper. Cool cakes completely on racks. Before icing clean off crumbs from the cakes with a feather or a pastery brush.
To Make Chocolate Icing.
1. In top of double boiler, combine 12 ounces of chocolate, 1/2 cup butter and 2 tablespoons of corn syrup.
2. Melt over simmer water, stirring often. Remove from heat. Mix until smooth and set aside.
3. In a small mixer bowl, beat 1 3/4 cups of cream a medium spread until medium peaks form. Beat in 2 to 3 tablespoons of kirshwasser.
4. With mixer running at low speed, slowly add chocolate mixture. Continue to beat at low speed until mixture is a chocolate mouse like consistency. About 2 minutes.
To Assemble Cake
1. Place first cake later on serving plate. Spread with 2-3 tablespoons of jam and 3/4 cup of icing. (work quick or icing will become soft.) Continue layering cake, jam and icing. Spread remain icing on top.
2. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours until set.
To Make Chocolate Glaze.
1. In top of double boiler, combine 6 ounces chocolate, 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons corn syrup.
2. Melt over simmering water, stirring often. Remove from water. Mix until smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream until blended.
3. Spoon over cooled cake and spread around sides. Refrigerate until set.
4. Serve cake at room temperature. Decorate how you wish. I know I will use the glaze as a decoration instead of anything else...
