Hazelnut Praline Torte Recipes

HAZELNUT-PRALINE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over each short side; set aside.
• Whisk nuts and confectioners' sugar in a bowl; reserve 1/2 cup, and set aside. Put yolks and remaining nut mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale, about 3 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
• Put egg whites and salt into the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until foamy. Raise speed to medium-high. Gradually add granulated sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
• Fold egg whites into yolk mixture in two additions. Whisk flour and remaining nut mixture in a small bowl; fold into egg mixture in two additions.
• Transfer half the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #808). Starting in one corner of a prepared baking sheet, pipe batter in diagonal lines, filling sheet. Repeat with remaining batter in second baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Lift parchment onto wire racks, and let cakes cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim edges of cakes to be straight. Halve cakes crosswise. Place one half on a serving plate. Brush with 1/4 cup hazelnut syrup. Spread 1 1/2 cups caramel cream over top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup praline. Repeat to make two more layers of each. Top with remaining cake half. Refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight). Dust with confectioners' sugar, and garnish with praline.

HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook, without stirring, swirling pan, just until a golden caramel. Add hazelnuts, stirring until coated well. Immediately pour mixture onto baking sheet and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove praline from baking sheet and break into pieces.
• Praline may be eaten as candy or ground in a food processor and used as a dessert topping.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT PRALINE TORTE WITH FRANGELICO WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 1/2-inch springform pan (2 inches deep) or other cake pan with same dimensions and line bottom with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess flour.
• In a food processor pulse praline until ground fine. Reserve 1/4 cup ground praline and transfer remaining praline to a bowl. In food processor pulse chocolate until finely ground and add to bowl of praline.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together butter, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Stir in praline chocolate mixture (mixture will be very thick).
• In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites until foamy and add a pinch salt and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a steam, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third meringue into yolk mixture to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pan and smooth top.
• Bake tort in middle of oven 45 to 55 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from side of pan. Cool torte in pan on a rack (torte will fall slightly and continue to set as it cooks) and remove from pan. Torte may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring torte to room temperature before serving.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until it just holds soft peaks. Stir in Frangelico and half of reserved praline.
• Top torte with whipped cream and sprinkle with remaining reserves praline. Serve torte immediately.

HAZELNUT TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Stir in nuts. In another bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Fold a small amount into batter until no streaks of white remain; add remaining egg whites. , Pour into an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. , Just before serving, remove sides of pan. If desired, drizzle with icing, sprinkle with nuts and garnish with mint.

HAZELNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE AND MILK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with vegetable spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone baking mat; set aside.
• Make the sponge cake: Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor with 1/4 cup sugar. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and hazelnut mixture; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whole eggs, the yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and almond extract on high speed until thick and pale yellow in color, and mixture holds a thick ribbon when whisk is lifted from bowl, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer; gently and quickly fold in flour mixture. Gradually drizzle in oil, while folding.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Set on prepared baking sheet, and bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn cake out immediately onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 1 hour.
• Make the buttercream: In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over (but not touching) simmering water, whisk egg whites, sugar, and salt until warm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat until stiff peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually beat in butter, piece by piece. When all the butter has been added, mixture will break but it will become smooth as you continue to beat. Beat in vanilla. Divide buttercream in half, returning one half to the mixer bowl to make the chocolate flavor and setting aside the remaining half for the praline buttercream.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Slowly beat into buttercream in mixer. Add cocoa mixture and beat until buttercream is cooled; set aside.
• Using a small offset spatula, spread praline paste onto a clean work surface. Smooth paste with a spatula, working out any lumps. Add 1/2 cup reserved buttercream to praline paste and fold it into buttercream. Once the paste and buttercream are fully combined and there are no lumps, fold praline mixture into remaining reserved buttercream.
• Using a serrated knife, trim top of cake to make level. Cut cake horizontally into even thirds. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate and top with a 1/3- to 1/2-inch layer of praline buttercream. Place second layer on top; top with remaining praline buttercream. Top with remaining layer.
• Spread a thin layer of the chocolate buttercream over the tops and sides of the cake to cover, creating a "crumb" layer. Transfer to refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Spread tops and sides of cake with remaining chocolate buttercream; serve.

HAZELNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Chop the hazelnuts in a food processor or mini-chopper to small bits-not to a powder. Set aside. Whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Butter and flour the cake pan. Preheat the oven to 350˚ with a rack in the center.
• In the mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light, smooth, and fluffy; scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Incorporate the eggs, olive oil, and orange zest in several additions, blending each in at slow speed, scraping the bowl, then beating at high speed for a couple of minutes to lighten.
• On slow speed, incorporate the dry mix in several additions, alternating with splashes of milk. Scrape the bowl when both are added, and beat briefly on high. Fold in the chopped nuts and chocolate by hand, and blend in well.
• Scrape the batter into the cake pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and just spring back to a light touch.
• Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes or so, remove the side ring of the springform, and let the cake cool completely. Cut in wedges, and serve topped with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
• The torte will keep in the refrigerator for a week, well wrapped in plastic, or you can freeze it for longer storage. When serving torte that has been chilled or frozen, toast the cut pieces in the oven (or toaster oven) to bring out the flavors.