Chocolate Marjolaine Cake

The first thing to make is the meringue base, which uses hazelnuts. If you can’t find them,

almonds or even walnuts will do. You can make this a few days in advance and simply store it in

an airtight container.

The next thing to whip up is the ganache. To cut out some of the sweetness, I like using good-

quality dark chocolate for this.

The last component is the buttercream icing. This uses egg yolks instead of egg whites, which

results in a richer and creamier icing. Assembling the cake is fairly easy and fun. Creating the

layers and seeing the cake take shape as you go along is so gratifying! The decorating part

doesn't have to be elaborate.

Makes 1 6x4-inch cake

Prep Time 30 minutes, plus chilling time

Baking Time 30 minutes

For the hazelnut meringue

2 cups hazelnuts, toasted at 350°F

for 10 to 15 minutes and skinned

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

For the chocolate ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream

5 ounces (about 142 grams)

dark chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Frangelico or

hazelnut liqueur (optional)

For the buttercream

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 cup butter, cubed and softened

2 tablespoons Frangelico or hazelnut liqueur (optional)

1 Preheat oven to 300°F.

2 Make the meringue: Place cooled hazelnuts in a food processor with the flour. Process until

fine. Set aside.

3 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high

speed. Add salt, then add sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff and shiny

peaks form.

4 Lower mixer speed and gently fold in hazelnut mixture.

5 Grease and flour a 16x24-inch jelly roll pan. Line pan with parchment paper. Using an offset

spatula, evenly spread the combined hazelnut mixture on the pan.

6 Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely on a

wire rack.

7 Make the ganache: Pour cream into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.

8 Take pan off the heat. Pour cream over chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Add butter

and liqueur, if using. Allow to cool for 15 minutes then refrigerate until mixture has slightly

thickened

9 Make the buttercream: Warm egg yolks in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a pot of

simmering water.

Remove from heat when yolks are warm to the touch. Make sure to use very low heat for this

step—you only want to warm the yolks, not cook them.

10 In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat yolks on high speed until they

have tripled in volume and are very pale in color.

11 Meanwhile, combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir with a wooden

spoon to dissolve the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes until you see fine

bubbles.

12 With the mixer running, slowly and gradually pour the boiling syrup over the egg yolks.

Whip until the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

13 Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time. eat until smooth. Add Frangelico, if using, and stir until

well combined.

14 Assemble the cake: With a sharp knife, slice the meringue into 4 equal rectangles. Place one

layer on a flat surface. Evenly spread about 1/4 up ganache on top of the meringue. Top with

another meringue layer then chill for 20 to 30 minutes to set.

15 Remove chilled meringue layers from the refrigerator. Place about 1/4 cup of buttercream on

top. Spread evenly then top with another layer of meringue. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20

minutes to set.

16 Repeat the process until you end up with 4 layers of meringue. Spread buttercream on the top

and sides of the cake, using an offset spatula to smoothen icing. Dust sides with finely chopped

hazelnuts. Pipe crisscross lines with leftover chocolate ganache on top of the cake. Refrigerate

for another hour or overnight until set.

Serving tip: Since this is a very rich dessert, serve this thin slices to guests, but I’m sure

everyone will happily ask for seconds.

Buttercream tip: The important thing to remember in making the icing is keeping butter at the

right temperature (not too soft, not too hard) and making sure that the sugar syrup has already

cooled before adding butter to the mixture. If done properly, the result is a smooth, silky

buttercream.

Tool tip: If you don't have a piping bag, you can use the tines of a fork to draw lines or imprint

marks on the sides then just smoothen the icing on top and drizzle some chocolate over for the

perfect finish.