Godiva Marjolaine Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two 11-by-17-inch (28-by-43-cm) rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• To make the cake base, spread the hazelnut powder on another rimmed baking sheet, place in the oven, and bake for about 5 minutes, or until it smells like roasting nuts. Remove from the oven and pour into a bowl to cool.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or by hand with determination), whip together the eggs and 1⅔ cups (180 g) of the powdered sugar until white and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the hazelnut powder and flour just until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and rinse the whip attachment and the mixer bowl. Dry thoroughly.
• Refit the whip attachment to the mixer, and put the egg whites, the remaining 5 tablespoons (40 g) powdered sugar, and the salt in the bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the egg-hazelnut mixture just until no streaks are visible.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking sheets, and spread to level with a spatula, preferably an offset spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 11 minutes, or until lightly browned and set. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes, then remove the parchment paper by lifting and peeling it slowly off the cakes. Let cool completely.
• To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let the ganache sit for 20 minutes at room temperature to firm up a bit.
• To make the buttercreams, rinse the whip attachment and bowl again, then put the egg yolks in the bowl. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat and heat until the sugar melts. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. When the sugar mixture reaches 226°F (108°C), start whisking the egg yolks. When it reaches 239°F (115°C), remove from the heat while slowly pouring in the yolks and whisking constantly. Continue whisking until the mixture is at room temperature.
• Add the butter a few pieces at a time to the cooled egg mixture and whisk until well incorporated. Scoop out half of the mixture into another bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and, using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the pod halves into one of the bowls and mix well. Add the Nutella to the second bowl and mix well. If you notice a shiny film forming as you are stirring the buttercreams, quickly add a few drops of cold water and continue stirring. The buttercreams are easiest to work with if used right away.
• If you're unable to get your hands on (that is, build) a metal mold in the dimensions described in the headnote, you can use 2 half-gallon (2-liter) milk cartons with the top and one long side cut out of each one. Adjust to any desired length by sliding the sides of the two cartons onto one another. Tape the bottom of the mold so that it maintains a perfect rectangle, and line the inside of the mold with parchment paper. With your "mold" built, you are ready to build your cake.
• Measure the width of the mold, then cut the cakes into slabs of the same width, minus 1/4 inch (6 mm). Cut the slabs into even lengths to fit the mold. Place a cake layer, shiny brown side up, in the mold and brush a little of the rum over it. Top the cake layer with a layer of the Nutella buttercream, making it slightly thicker than the cake layer. Top the buttercream with a second cake layer, shiny brown side up, and brush with more rum. Top the cake layer with a layer of ganache, making it slightly thicker than the cake layer. Place a third cake layer, shiny brown side up, on the ganache layer and brush with more rum. Add a layer of the vanilla buttercream, making it slightly thicker than the cake layer. Repeat the layers, finishing with a cake layer topped with a layer of ganache. Then add the nuts.
• Let the cake rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, cut the tape holding the mold together to release the cake. You may discover that the whole thing has sunk a bit, or that the cake has soaked the ganache excessively. No matter. You will have a delicious, silky brick of joy. To serve, cut into slices with a hot, wet knife.

Steps:

• TOASTING THE HAZELNUTS:(Make a day ahead).
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes, shaking the pan two or three times, until the nuts are golden. Store in air-tight container.(The oven has to be at the correct temperature for the meringues).
• HAZELNUT MERINGUE LAYERS:.
• Preheat oven to 300ºF.
• Generously butter 17"x12"x1" jelly roll pan.
• Line bottom with parchment paper. Then, lightly butter parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap off excess.
• Place 2 cups toasted hazelnuts in a food processor. Cover & process until very fine, but not oily.
• Combine ground hazelnuts and flour in medium bowl.
• Cover and process remaining toasted hazelnuts. Reserve for garnishing the cake.
• Beat egg whites in clean large mixing bowl until frothy, using electric mixer at medium-low speed.
• Add salt and increase the speed to medium-high and beat egg whites until soft peaks start to form.
• Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well.
• Continue beating until stiff, shiney peaks form.
• Gently fold in hazelnut-flour mixture. Spread hazelnut meringue in prepared pan.
• Bake fo 30-35 minutes or until very lightly browned and just set when lightly touched.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Invert the cake onto the wire rack and peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completly.
• MAKE THE DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE:.
• Put chocolate in medium bowl.
• Heat cream in saucepan until it comes to a boil.
• Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 30 seconds to soften the chocolate.
• Whisk mixture until smooth.
• Stir in butter and liqueur.
• Let cool for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Dip 12 hazelnuts in chocolate ganache for garnish and let set.
• MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM:.
• Place the egg yolks in mixing bowl.
• Place bowl in a shallow bowl filled with hot water; set the bowl with the egg yolks directly over it, letting the water touch the bottom of the bowl to warm the egg yolks.
• Stir gently for 1 minute or until the yolks are warm.
• Remove bowl from water.
• Beat egg yolks 5-7 minutes, using electric mixer at medium-high speed.
• Beat until yolks have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beater is raised.
• While the eggs are mixing, prepare the syrup.
• PREPARING SYRUP:.
• Combine granulated sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
• With the mixer running at medium speed, carefully(hot sugar really burns)pour the hot syrup into bowl with eggs.
• Continue to beat the eggs, until they have cooled to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low.
• Gradually, add the butter, one or two tablespoons at a time, beating well.
• The buttercream will look lumpy or curdled when half of the butter has been added, but it will smooth out at the end.
• Add the hazelnut liqueur.
• ASSEMBLE TH CAKE:.
• Cut cake crosswise into 4 equal pieces, about 11x4".
• Cut a piece of cardboard into a 11x4" rectangle. Cover the cardboard with foil; place one of the cake pieces on the cardboard rectangle.
• Spread half the chocolate ganache over the cake.
• Top with the second cake layer and spread with 1 cup buttercream filling.
• Repeat layering and spread with the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake.
• Lift up the cake on the rectangle base, supporting the bottom of the cake in one hand. (It makes it easier to frost when there is more than one person).
• Using the other hand press the finely chopped hazelnuts on sides of cake.
• Garnish with chocolate-dipped hazelnuts.