Dacquoise Cake Recipes

HAZELNUT-MOCHA DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool completely. Combine 1 cup each hazelnuts and sugar and the potato starch in a blender or food processor and pulse until very finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a bowl as a guide, draw three 7-inch circles on the parchment with a pencil (2 circles on 1 piece and 1 circle on the other); flip the parchment so the markings face down.
• Put the egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff and shiny but not dry, about 2 minutes.
• Fold the milk and one-quarter of the egg white mixture into the nut mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth, then fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. Divide the batter among the 3 circles on the parchment and spread evenly with an offset spatula to fill the circles. Bake 1 hour, 30 minutes, then switch the position of the pans and continue baking until firm, dry and golden, 1 to 2 more hours. (The layers are done when they easily peel off the parchment.) Let cool slightly on the baking sheets; peel off the parchment and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Put 1 cup cream in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave until very hot, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate and espresso powder until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold, thick and spreadable, at least 30 minutes. Make the whipped cream: Combine the remaining 4 cups cream and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until it barely holds soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Finish beating the cream by hand with a whisk until soft peaks form; do not overbeat.
• Put 2 meringue layers on a baking sheet; spread half of the ganache on each, to the edge. Refrigerate until set, 15 minutes. (If the ganache is too firm to spread, microwave in 20-second intervals to soften.) Place one of the ganache-topped meringues on a platter. Spread with 1 cup whipped cream. Stack the other ganache-topped meringue on top; spread with another layer of whipped cream. Top with the last meringue, then cover the top and side of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Chop the remaining 1/3 cup hazelnuts and sprinkle on top of the cake along with the shaved chocolate. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.

DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Position the oven racks in the upper, middle, and bottom part of the oven, then set the oven to preheat to 150 °C. Line three 21 cm round baking pans or trays with parchment paper or, if you are using trays, draw a 21 cm diameter circle on each. Set aside.
• In a small bowl combine hazelnuts, 100 grams of caster sugar, and cornflour. Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt at medium speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high, and with the mixer running, gradually add 200 grams of sugar until stiff glossy peaks. Fold the hazelnut mixture into the meringue.
• Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm plain tube. Pipe a spiral of meringue starting from the center of each drawn circle and working outwards. Bake for an hour, rotating the upper and bottom baking tray after 30 minutes, so they cook evenly. Turn off, and leave the meringues to cool down in the oven with the door slightly open.
• To make chocolate ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until hot, just simmering, but not boiling and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for a minute and then stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until it thickens. Fill the piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle with ganache and set aside.
• To make the custard, bring the milk to a boil over low heat. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and coffee and chicory essence, then whisk in the cornflour, a tablespoon at a time. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously, then pour the mixture back into the pan. While constantly whisking, bring to a boil, then decrease the heat, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from the stovetop and wait an hour for it to cool. Once the custard is chilled, fold in softly whipped cream.
• Whip the cream until soft peaks. Whisk half of the whipped cream into the cold coffee mixture, then gently fold in the rest. Cover and chill until needed.
• Melt sugar in a small frying pan (without stirring). Cook until golden caramel color, or until a thermometer registers 300°C. At that point add the whole hazelnuts and lemon juice, and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined either with baking paper or silicone. Using two teaspoons form 12 pieces of hazelnut praline. Wait for it to cool completely before use.
• Position one meringue layer on a large serving plate, then in an even layer, coat it with one-third of the coffee cream. Place a second meringue layer on the cream to cover, then spread the top part with half of the coffee cream. Top with the third meringue layer, coat the sides of the cake with the coffee cream. Press roasted and chopped nuts into the sides of the cake. Pipe 12 swirls of the ganache onto the top outer edge of the cake, taking care they are evenly spaced, then place a piece of praline on each.

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CAKE WITH COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet; toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a kitchen towel; rub off loosened papery skins. Let stand until cool. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse nuts until they are the texture of coarse cornmeal; set aside.
• Place a layer of chocolate meringue on a 10-inch cardboard cake round, and coat with a 1/2-inch-thick layer (1 cup) ganache. Top with second layer and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream in an even layer over meringue. Top with third layer and coat with the remaining cup of ganache. Top with final layer, placing it upside-down so the flat side is on top, and coat with about 2 cups buttercream. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Coat the top and sides of cake with about 3 cups buttercream in an even layer. Cover top and sides of cake with hazelnuts. Use remaining buttercream to decorate, as desired. Reserve any remaining buttercream for another use.

CHOCOLATE DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Prepare the cocoa meringue: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a marker, trace three 8-inch circles total on parchment (2 on one sheet, 1 on another); turn paper marked side down on baking sheets; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and a tablespoon of the granulated sugar; beat until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually add the remaining 11 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture, then fold in remaining whites.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Starting just within the marked circles, pipe meringue, working inward in a spiral pattern. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven allowing meringues to dry out until oven is completely cool, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Prepare ganache: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate, and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until thick enough to spread, 1 to 2 hours.
• Prepare halvah cream: Bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk together tahini, honey, cornstarch, and egg yolks. Whisk a little of the hot milk into the tahini mixture. Continue to whisk while adding remaining milk. Return to saucepan, and bring to a boil while whisking. Boil, whisking constantly, until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and whisk in half of the crumbled halvah. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Whip heavy cream just until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream and the remaining crumbled halvah into the chilled tahini mixture.
• To assemble: Set aside nicest meringue disc for top layer. Place one meringue layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round or a plate. Spread 1/3 of the halvah cream over meringue. Top with second meringue disc. Spread evenly with ganache. Top with another 1/3 of the halvah cream, spreading evenly. Top with last meringue disc. Ice outside of cake with remaining 1/3 halvah cream. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
• Before serving, dust top with confectioners' sugar. To slice, use a serrated knife dipped in hot water. Wipe dry between slices.

MERINGUE-NUT LAYER CAKES-DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Easier to make than conventional cakes, these are always immensely popular with guests. For 3 layers, 4 by 16 inches and 3/8 inch thick. Preheat oven to 250°F, and place racks in upper- and lower-third levels. Butter the surfaces of 2 baking sheets, dust with flour, and shake off excess, then mark on them three 4-by-16-inch rectangles. Pulverize 1 1/2 cups toasted almonds or hazelnuts (be sure they are fresh!) with 1 1/2 cups sugar and reserve. Beat 3/4 cup (5 to 6) egg whites with a big pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to soft peaks (see page 100), and continue beating as you add 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and sprinkle in 3 tablespoons sugar. Beat to stiff, shining peaks. (This is now a Swiss meringue, which you could also turn into individual baked meringues.). By big sprinkles, rapidly fold in the pulverized nuts and sugar. Using a pastry bag, fill the 3 rectangles on the baking sheets. Immediately set in the oven and bake about an hour, switching levels every 20 minutes. They should barely color, and are done when you can push them loose. If not used within a few hours, wrap airtight and store in the freezer
• Serving Suggestion: chocolate hazelnut dacquoise
• Trim and even the edges of the layers with a serrated knife, and paint tops of each with apricot glaze (see page 103). Layer with chocolate-ganache (page 102) or chocolate-meringue filling (page 102), bringing it up and around the cake. Brush chopped nuts around the sides of the cake, and strew a decorative layer of shaved or grated chocolate on top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, to soften the meringue and set the filling, but bring back almost to room temperature before serving.
• to whip cream
• For about 2 cups of softly whipped cream-crème Chantilly. Pour 1 cup of chilled heavy cream into a metal bowl set over a larger bowl of ice and water. To incorporate as much air as possible, either sweep a large balloon whip down and around and up and into the bowl with rapid strokes, or circulate a hand-held electric mixer with vigorous movements. The cream will not begin to thicken for several minutes. It is done when the beater leaves light traces on the surface and the cream holds softly when lifted.
• imbibing syrup-flavoring and moistening for layer cakes
• Makes about 1 cup, enough for 3 cake layers. Stir 1/3 cup hot water into 1/4 cup sugar; when dissolved, stir in 1/2 cup cold water and 3 to 4 tablespoons white rum, orange liqueur, or cognac or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Sprinkle over each cake layer before spreading on the filling.
• sugar boiling for syrups and caramel
• Proportions are always 1/3 cup water for every 1 cup of sugar.
• Simple Syrup. For imbibing cake layers, for instance. Stir over heat until sugar has completely dissolved.
• The Thread Stage. Used for butter creams and Italian meringue. When the sugar has dissolved completely, cover the pan tightly and boil over high heat-never stirring-until when you rapidly take up a little in a metal spoon the last drops to fall from its tip into a cup of cold water form threads.
• Caramel. Continue boiling until bubbles are thick, then uncover the pan, swirl it slowly by its handle, and boil until the syrup has darkened into caramel. Pour at once into a separate pan to stop the cooking.
• To Clean Pans and Spoons. Fill pan with water, add tools, and simmer a few minutes to melt the syrup.

CHOCOLATE-COFFEE DACQUOISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Mark out a 13x10-inch rectangle on parchment paper; place it on a baking sheet.
• Combine ground almonds, ground hazelnuts, 1/2 cup of caster sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl.
• Whip egg whites and cream of tartar together in another bowl until foamy, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup caster sugar until glossy and stiff. Fold in the nut-sugar mixture in two batches. Spread the meringue onto the parchment paper and mist the surface with water.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for another 90 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Whisk egg yolks, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt for buttercream together in a bowl.
• Heat milk to a simmer. Pour milk into the yolk mixture, whisking until smooth. Return mixture to the heat and continue whisking until thickened and stiff. Transfer custard to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Before using, bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Dissolve instant coffee in hot water.
• Whip butter in a bowl until light. Beat in the custard in 3 batches until just combined. Add coffee mixture and beat until light and fluffy.
• Place chocolate for ganache in a heat-proof bowl. Heat cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan; then pour over the chocolate to soften. Stir until smooth and cool for 5 minutes.
• Peel off paper from meringue and transfer to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to trim the edges and cut into 4 equal rectangles. Spread 3 rectangles each with about 1/4 cup ganache. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Spread remaining rectangle with about 1/2 cup buttercream; place on a wire rack. Place one ganache-coated meringue, chocolate-side down on top and press gently. Spread on 1/2 cup buttercream and repeat with the remaining meringue. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour more.
• Microwave remaining ganache in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals, until warm and runny. Pour over cake and garnish with whole hazelnuts.