Hazelnut Meringue Cake Recipes

HAZELNUT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• For the meringue, heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Draw an 18cm circle on each of 4 sheets of baking paper, then use to line 4 lightly oiled baking sheets.
• Grind the nuts in a food processor with 1 tbsp of the caster sugar until finely ground with some texture - don't overgrind or it will become oily. (If you prefer, you can use a pestle and mortar or finely chop the nuts with a knife, then mix with the sugar.)
• Put the egg whites in a spotlessly clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand mixer to stiff peaks (they shouldn't droop when the beaters are removed). Add the remaining caster sugar to the whites a tablespoon at a time, whisking back to stiff peaks each time. Once you've added half the sugar, start adding in larger quantities, whisking back to stiff peaks each time. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk in the vinegar to form stiff peaks, then fold through the hazelnuts with a metal spoon or balloon whisk.
• Spoon or pipe the meringues in circles onto the baking paper to give 3 flat circles and the fourth circle swirled a bit thicker (this will form the top layer). Bake for 40 minutes until the edges are crisp and set and the insides are still gooey.
• Take out to cool for 20 minutes on the trays, then transfer carefully to wire racks or boards to cool fully (see Make Ahead).
• For the PX sherry chocolate cream, put the chocolate, sherry and brown sugar in a large, heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) a pan of barely simmering water. Melt, stirring very occasionally, until smooth, then remove from the heat, stir in 150ml of the cream and leave to cool to just above room temperature. Whip the rest of the cream to soft peaks, then gently fold through the chocolate mixture with a balloon whisk, being careful not to overmix it or it will become grainy.
• Spoon the chocolate cream into a piping bag and snip off the end (see tips). Put one meringue on a serving platter and pipe a third of the cream on top. Repeat with the next layers, finishing with the thicker meringue.
• To decorate, melt the 50g chocolate and butter together (a microwave on low is fine), then cool a little. Drizzle all over the top, then scatter over the nuts. The cake is best filled as soon as you make the chocolate cream, to get a good shine (see make ahead).

HAZELNUT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler, then toast the hazelnuts until golden. Leave to cool. Roughly chop a few and set aside for decoration. Finely chop or grind the remaining hazelnuts.
• Preheat the oven to 275ºF (140ºC). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw a 20 cm circle on each piece of paper.
• Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, then continue to beat for 1-2 minutes or until the meringue is very thick and glossy. Fold in the hazelnuts with a large metal spoon.
• Divide the meringue mixture between the baking sheets and spread evenly within the drawn circles. Bake for 40 minutes, then turn the baking sheets around in the oven so that the meringues colour evenly. Bake for another 35 minutes or until the meringues are set and can be removed easily from the paper. Loosen them from the paper, then leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.
• While the hazelnut meringues are cooking, make the pastry cream. Pour 1 1/4 cups milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the vanilla pod, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
• Place the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with a whisk for 2-3 minutes or until pale. Sift in the flour and cornstarch and whisk to combine. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and scrape the seeds into the milk with a sharp knife; discard the pod. Bring the milk just to a boil, then gradually stir it into the egg yolk mixture.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. When thick, simmer gently for 1 minute, still stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Cover the surface of the pastry cream with wet parchment paper and leave to cool. (Both the hazelnut meringues and pastry cream can be made a day in advance; store the meringues in an airtight container and the pastry cream in a covered bowl in the refrigerator.)
• Assemble the cake no more than 1 hour before serving. Place one of the meringues on a serving plate, flat side facing upward, and spread over the pastry cream. If the cream is too thick to spread, beat in the extra milk. Sprinkle with two-thirds of the raspberries, then top with the second meringue. Decorate with the remaining raspberries, the reserved toasted hazelnuts and a light dusting of icing sugar. Cut into thick slices with a sharp knife to serve.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/gas 5. Lightly grease two 20cm sandwich tins and then line the bases with non-stick baking parchment. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about 10 minutes, then tip onto a clean tea towel and rub well together to remove the skins. (Some stubborn ones may need to go back into the oven but don't worry about getting every last bit of skin off, it's not necessary.) Grind the nuts in a food processor. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk until the mixture is very stiff, stands in peaks, and all the sugar has been added. Whisk in the vanilla extract and wine vinegar then fold in the prepared nuts. Divide the mixture between the tins and level the surface with a palette knife. Bake for 30-40 minutes, but no longer. The top of the meringue will be crisp and the inside soft and marshmallow- like. Turn out of the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack. To make the filling, whisk the cream until thick. Use about two-thirds to sandwich the meringues together, along with two-thirds of the raspberries. Spread the remaining cream over the top, scatter on the remaining raspberries and dust with icing sugar. Serve with raspberry coulis, if you like. If you don't have sandwich tins, you can cook the mixture on two flat baking sheets, spread out into two circles. It won't look quite so neat, but it tastes the same! Walnuts can be used in place of the hazelnuts in the meringue. Choose a fruit to complement the walnuts, such as strawberries or ripe peaches in season.

CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment. Butter parchment, and sprinkle with flour; tap out excess. Set aside.
• Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and skins start to crack, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; rub vigorously with a clean kitchen towel to take off skins. Let cool; roughly chop. Set aside.
• Make cake batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and rum, if using; beat until combined. Set aside.
• In a clean mixer bowl, combine 6 egg whites and salt; using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining beaten egg whites just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make meringue: Combine hazelnuts, chopped chocolate, and cornstarch in a small bowl, and set aside. Place remaining 4 egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean mixer bowl; using a clean whisk attachment, beat on high speed until frothy. With mixer running, slowly add superfine sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Fold in hazelnut mixture.
• Remove cake from oven. Using an offset spatula, spread meringue mixture on top of cake, and return to oven. Bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, and release sides of pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT MERINGUE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease with shortening two 9-inch round cake pans. Line pan bottoms with cooking parchment paper; grease again, and sprinkle pans with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg yolks with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Scrape bowl; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Spread batter evenly in pans.
• In another large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in ground hazelnuts. Place spoonfuls of meringue on top of batter in each pan; carefully spread to cover batter to within 1/4 inch of sides of pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling racks 15 minutes. Carefully run knife around sides of pans to loosen cake and meringue. Remove from pans, and place meringue-side-up on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For topping, using chilled large bowl and beaters, beat whipping cream using electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of the hazelnut spread and the powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.
• To assemble cake, place cake layer on serving plate or cake stand, meringue-side-up. Place remaining 1/3 cup hazelnut spread in small microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 15 to 30 seconds or just until softened. Carefully spread softened hazelnut spread over meringue layer. Top with remaining cake layer, meringue-side-up. Top with dollops of whipped cream mixture, spreading slightly to cover top of cake. Garnish top with candies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place hazelnuts in single layer on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes or until skins begin to loosen and hazelnuts turn golden brown.
• Remove hazelnuts from oven; place on towel. Wrap towel around hazelnuts; let stand 10 minutes. Rub hazelnuts with towel to remove as much skin as possible.
• In food processor bowl with metal blade, combine hazelnuts and powdered sugar. Process until fine powder forms. Set aside.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Beat in cream of tartar. Increase speed to high; beat until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in superfine sugar. Continue beating until egg whites are glossy and stiff. Beat in almond extract. Quickly fold in nut powder.
• Place meringue mixture in large decorating bag or resealable gallon plastic bag fitted with 1/2-inch open star tip. Pipe meringue into star shapes onto paper-lined cookie sheets.
• Bake at 200°F for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until crisp. Cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Gently remove from parchment paper.

HAZELNUT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Hazelnut powder:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly butter it, set aside.
• If hazelnuts are raw, toast them in the oven, and then rub the skins off in a clean, dry dishtowel. Blanch toasted hazelnuts in boiling water for 30 seconds and then immediately chill them in ice water. Squeeze the nuts through the skins.
• Grind the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade with 5 ounces confectioners' sugar, until smooth and fine, approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
• Whisk together the hazelnut powder, 2 ounces confectioners' sugar, and flour lightly.
• In a standing mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed. When whites begin to foam, increase speed to high. When whites are at stiff peak, pour in the extra-fine sugar. Fold in dry ingredients in 3 additions.
• Pour meringue mixture into piping bag without a tip. Pipe teardrop shapes with 2-inch diameter bottoms onto prepared sheet pan.
• Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Meringues will puff and begin to burst when finished baking. Meringues will be crispy on the outside but soft in the middle.
• Serve immediately, or let cool and fill or top with ganache.
• In a small sauce pan heat the heavy cream, vanilla bean, and Frangelico to a simmer. Place chocolate into a metal bowl. Once the cream simmers, remove the vanilla bean and pour it over the chocolate, stir until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature. With a rubber spatula, scrape ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a medium size star tip, and pipe into Hazelnut Meringues.

STRAWBERRY-HAZELNUT MERINGUE SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 250°. Beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form., Using a measuring cup and spatula or an ice cream scoop, drop meringue into 8 even mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. With the back of a spoon, shape into 3-in. cups. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Bake 45-50 minutes or until set and dry. Turn off oven (do not open oven door); leave meringues in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets. Remove meringues from paper., Place 3 cups strawberries in a large bowl; mash slightly. Stir in remaining strawberries. Just before serving, top meringues with frozen yogurt and strawberries.

HAZELNUT & BAILEYS MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with foil, then lightly oil the foil. Whizz the nuts in a processor until finely ground.
• Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they form stiff peaks. Whisk in most of the sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Stir the rest of the sugar into the nuts, then fold into the meringue with the vinegar. Divide between the tins and level the tops.
• Bake for 40-45 mins until firm, then cool in the oven. When the meringues are cold, carefully peel off the foil.
• To serve, whisk the cream, icing sugar and Baileys together until softly stiff. Put one of the meringues, top-side down, on a plate, then spread with the cream and scatter over the raspberries. Put the other meringue layer on top and dust generously with icing sugar.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE SURPRISE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter and line the bases and sides of 2 x 20cm springform tins with baking parchment. Grind the hazelnuts and icing sugar in a food processor until fine. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add half the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff, then repeat with the rest of the caster sugar. Fold in the vanilla, vinegar and ground nut mixture until well combined. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until the tops are firm to the touch. Remove and cool in the tins on a wire rack. The meringues are very fragile and may crack a little, but don't worry.
• While the meringues cool, make the chocolate cream. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cream and leave to set in a cool place.
• Carefully remove the cooled meringues from the tins and put one layer onto a serving plate. Lightly crush half of the berries with a fork. Using a palette knife, spread half the chocolate cream over the meringue and spoon over the berries. Top with the remaining layer, then ice with chocolate cream and decorate with remaining berries. Chill until serving.

HAZELNUT MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F (325F for a convection oven). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• For the meringue, beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar to make a stiff and glossy meringue. Fold in the vanilla extract, vinegar, cornstarch and ground hazelnuts.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans and level the surface. Scatter the chopped hazelnuts over the top of one, then bake in the over for 50 - 60 minutes, or until crisp. Turn out on a wire rack until cool.
• For the filling, stir the yogurt, whiskey and honey together in a bowl. Whip the cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then fold into the yogurt mixture together with the raspberries.
• Sandwich the two meringues together with the cream mixture, with the nut-topped meringue uppermost. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve in slices.