[Sweeten up the holiday countdown] Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Mascarpone Giotto frosting

Just two more weeks until Chistmas Eve will be there! Every time the same questions pop up: Will I have all the presents by that day? Didn’t I forget to buy a present for someone? Will I be in time with the whole christmas decoration? When shall we buy the christmas tree? And most important: What do we eat at Christmas Eve? Maybe a cake with chocolate, hazelnut, mascarpone and Giottos?

I have to admit that I haven’t got an answer for the first 4 questions. But at least the question for this years’ christmas dessert is already answered! And I promise this cake will definitely sweeten up your holiday countdown!

As you already know my family is asking me every yeat to create the dessert for Christmas Eve and every year the same tough question appears: To find a dessert which will be loved by everyone in my family. Last year the Bellini cake won the competetion and was last year’s sweet christmas dessert. I am still dreaming of the fluffy and intense Bellini filling which was the highlight of the cake! But this year something with more chocolate was in great demand (thanks to my dad who is the biggest chocolate fan I know so far!).

So, this cake is the perfect choice for your next afternoon tea or as this year’s christmas dessert or the highlight at every coffee date during the advent season. Some words about what’s inside this fancy cake. The 8 layers of biskuit are made with dark chocolate and grounded hazelnuts. Between the layers is a nougat filling and the frosting is made with mascarpone and unsweetened cacao powder. The chocolate decoration runs down the cake and is the perfect base for the chocolate tuffs and Giottos. Top with a few sparkler this beauty will be a wonderful highlight at your New Years Eve Party!

Print

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE WITH MASCARPONE GIOTTO FROSTING

baked by www.caprisserie.com

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

for the chocolate biskuits:

• 125 g dark chocolate
• 6 eggs
• 125 g butter
• 40 g confectioner's sugar
• pinch of salt
• 150 g white sugar
• 125 g flour
• 2 tbsp. baking powder

for the hazelnut biskuits:

• 125 g dark chocolate
• 6 eggs
• 125 g butter
• 40 g confectioner's sugar
• pinch of salt
• 150 g white sugar
• 65 g flour
• 60 g grounded hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp. baking powder

for the frosting:

• 500 g mascarpone
• 200 g heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. tbsp. vanilla sugar
• 200 g confectioner's sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. unsweetened cacao powder
• 12 Giottos or any other sweet praliné
• 250 g nougat or Nutella

for the chocolate layer:

• 200 g dark chocolate
• 20 g butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Layer 4 small baking pans with baking paper.
2. Prepare the chocolate biskuits: Melt dark chocolate. Meanwhile separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff while adding the white sugar. In another bowl mix butter with confectioner's sugar. Then add the egg yolks. Now add the melted chocolate. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the mix together with the stiff egg whites. Just mix until incorporated. Then divide dough into two batches and pour into 2 of the 4 prepared baking pans. Bake for 25 minutes (depents on your oven).
3. Prepare the hazelnut biskuits analog to the chocolate biskuits by adding the grounded hazelnuts together with the flour. Bake both biskuits and let them cool completely. Now divide all four cakes in the middle until you get 8 cake bottoms of the same size.
4. Prepare the frosting: In one bowl beat the heavy cream together with the vanilla sugar. In another bowl mix the mascarpone, confectioners sugar and cacao powder. Combine both mixes.
5. Now start layering by taking the first cake bottom and pour over 2 tbsp. of nougat. Top with the next cake bottom. Repeat this with the other cakes bottoms. In the end cover the whole cake with the Mascarpone forsting. Fill the rest of the mascarpone cream into a piping bag and put into the fridge.
6. Now prepare the chocolate decoration. Melt the chocolate and butter and just pour it over the cake so the chocolate will run down the sides of the cake. Let the chocolate mix cool.
7. Take the frosting in the piping bag and pipe little tuffs all over the cake. Decorate with Giottos and optional with sparkler.

Have a lovely christmas time!

xxx

Caprice