Delicious Chocolate Mousse Cake with Hazelnut Meringue

I guess you already know – I am a chocoholic. So, sometimes, the quick fix in a form of a brownie is all it takes to keep me happy, but once in a while I like to spend time and create something special and really-really delicious. This cake checks all the boxes: it has chocolate – check, meringue – check, and nuts – check! Perfect! It’s not one of those desserts that you can whip in under an hour, but it definitely worth the effort. This Chocolate Cake with heavenly layers of Hazelnut mousse, meringue and chocolate ganache is a pure indulgence. Your friends and family will sure be impressed with this terrific dessert time after time!

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache:
175 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup 35% whipping cream 
Chocolate Cake:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp cider vinegar
Hazelnut Meringue:
3 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) ground roasted skinned hazelnuts, (about 1/2 cup whole)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
Mousse:
1 package gelatin (7 g)
1 cup hazelnut chocolate spread
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1½ cup 35% whipping cream 
Candied Hazelnuts:
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup roasted skinned hazelnuts

Chocolate Meringue Cake with Hazelnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Make a Chocolate Cake: 
Grease 9-inch spring form and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside. 
In bowl, sift through the sifter flour and cocoa powder to prevent lumps. 
Add the rest of cake ingredients to the bowl and whisk with 1 cup of water. Mix to combine, then transfer butter into prepared pan.
Bake in the oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, for about 20 minutes. Run sharp knife around edge. Let the cake to cool completely before removing it from pan.

Make a Hazelnut Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 225 F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using 9-inch spring form bottom, trace circle onto paper. 
With electric mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 2 tbsp. at a time, until stiff peaks form. Fold in hazelnuts and vanilla. Spoon onto circle, leveling and smoothing top.
Tip: When making a meringue, cream of tartar is used to stabilize egg whites. If you don’t have cream of tartar, use an equal amount of white vinegar or lemon juice. 
Bake on bottom rack for 1 ½ hours. Turn off oven and let cool in oven for 2 hours. 

Hazelnut meringue

Make a Mousse:
Meanwhile, in small bowl dissolve gelatin in 2 tbsp. of hot water, stirring well. Set aside. 
In heatproof bowl over saucepan of hot, but not boiling water, melt hazelnut spread (I use Nutella) with 3 tbsp. water until smooth. Add butter and stir to combine.
Add “melted” gelatin into hazelnut spread mixture and set aside. 
Whip cream and whisk one-third into hazelnut spread mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble the Cake:
Cut cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers.
Place bottom cake layer on a serving cake plate.
Pour 1 cup of the mousse over top and spread evenly. 
Place meringue layer on top and then pour 1 cup of the mousse over top. 
Top with remaining cake layer and finish with remaining mousse. 
Refrigerate the cake until set, for about 1 hour.

Make Candied Hazelnuts:
In the meantime, in a small saucepan, dissolve sugar and salt in 3 tbsp. water over medium-high heat. Add hazelnuts and bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat to medium, simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is light golden, about 5 minutes. Spread nut mixture on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely and then coarsely chop the nuts.

Candied Hazelnuts

Make chocolate ganache:
In small saucepan, bring cream to boil, add chocolate and mix until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. 
Pour ganache over the cake, smoothing top and sides with palette knife. 

Sprinkle the cake with chopped candied hazelnuts.

Refrigerate your delicious creation for at least an hour before serving.

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Hazelnut Meringue

 

Chocolate Cake with Mousse and Hazelnut Meringue

Ingredients:

  • Chocolate Ganache:
  • 175 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • ¾ cup 35% whipping cream
  • Chocolate Cake:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tsp cider vinegar
  • Hazelnut Meringue:
  • 3 egg whites
  • Pinch cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) ground roasted skinned hazelnuts, (about 1/2 cup whole)
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
  • Mousse:
  • 1 package gelatin (7 g)
  • 1 cup hazelnut chocolate spread
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ cups 35% whipping cream 35%
  • Candied Hazelnuts:
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup roasted skinned hazelnuts
Desserts  


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