Chocolate Hazelnut Celebration Cake Food

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast them in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, giving the pan a shake halfway through, until they are golden brown. Watch them carefully so that they don't burn. Remove and leave them to cool for a few minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4.Butter a 23cm/9in springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
• Place 200g/7oz of the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend them until they are fairly finely ground. If you blend the nuts to the consistency of fine breadcrumbs, they should work a treat, but leave a few coarser pieces to add texture. Set the remaining 50g/2oz hazelnuts aside.
• Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it above a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally and as soon as nearly all the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pan and continue to let the chocolate melt in the residual heat.
• Stir in the ground hazelnuts and leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar together with an electric hand-whisk for at least 5 minutes until pale and creamy, then stir into the chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Wash and dry the beaters well.
• In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form - they are ready when you can turn the bowl upside down without the eggs sliding out. Do not over whisk.
• Working quickly, stir the hazelnut liqueur, amaretto or orange juice, into the chocolate mixture to soften. Add a couple of tablespoonfuls of the whisked egg whites and stir until thoroughly combined, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is well risen and firm.
• Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Undo the springclip and invert the cake on to a serving plate, then peel off the lining paper and leave it to cool completely.
• When the cake is cold, spread it with the chocolate and hazelnut spread and sprinkle with the hazelnuts that you set aside - these can be whole or chopped, whatever you prefer.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT DECADENCE CAKE POP

Steps:

• For the flourless chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a food processor, mix together the melted chocolate, granulated sugar and cocoa powder. Pour in the hot espresso while mixing and process until the mixture turns creamy. Add the cubed butter piece by piece and process until fully incorporated. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix until fully emulsified. Mix in the vanilla.
• Fill the cavities of a small-cavity silicon mold with the batter, place in a water bath and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool completely, then refrigerate to set. Once set, remove from the molds.
• For the milk chocolate hazelnut crunch: Put the milk chocolate in a mixing bowl and melt over a double boiler. Add the praline paste and mix until fully emulsified. Take the chocolate mixture off the double boiler and add the feuilletine flakes. Fold gently until fully combined (making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl). Spread evenly on a silicone mat and let set. Cut out pieces the same size as the bottom of the cakes and refrigerate until hardened.
• For the raspberry vanilla bean cream: Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream together until light, fluffy and lighter in color. Add the raspberry puree and mix slowly until completely combined.
• To assemble: Microwave the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals until melted, about 1 minute total, stirring between each interval. Make a small cavity in the bottom of each cake and fill the hole and smear the bottom with the raspberry vanilla bean cream. Place a disc of the milk chocolate hazelnut crunch on the bottom of each cake. Poke a hole in each disc and insert a lollipop stick. Dip in the melted chocolate and garnish as desired.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Beat 1 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup mascarpone, the confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a bowl with a mixer on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Combine the remaining 3/4 cup each heavy cream and mascarpone with the chocolate-hazelnut spread in a separate bowl. Beat with the mixer on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with 4 graham crackers in a single layer, breaking them into pieces to fit and fill any big gaps. Spread half of the vanilla whipped cream over the graham crackers, then top with another layer of graham crackers. Spread half of the chocolate-hazelnut whipped cream on top. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers, the remaining vanilla whipped cream, then more graham crackers and the remaining chocolate-hazelnut whipped cream. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Uncover the cake and run a thin knife around the edge to loosen. Remove the springform ring; smooth the sides of the cake using an offset spatula. Put the remaining 4 graham crackers in a large resealable bag; crush into fine crumbs using the bottom of a skillet. Press the crumbs around the side of the cake.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT LAVA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spray 8 small custard cups or souffle dishes with nonstick spray. Place on baking sheet.
• Heat chocolate and butter in large glass bowl resting over a pan of boiling water until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs 1 at a time, so that the eggs do not cook. Stir in Hazelnut extract and flour.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared and nonstick sprayed custard cups, about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute.
• Invert cakes onto dessert dishes and top with a little hazelnut liqueur and a spoonful of nutella on each lava cake.
• Serve immediately, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate shavings.

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• First, make the cake. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Allow the chocolate to slowly melt, then set aside to cool a little.
• Meanwhile, blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor until roughly chopped, then add the sugars and blitz again to a fine, sandy consistency. Tip into a mixing bowl and add the 1 whole egg and 5 egg yolks. This will be a very stiff batter, but with a bit of elbow grease, it will combine. When well incorporated, beat in the melted chocolate.
• Put the remaining egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until they form medium peaks. Scoop a quarter of the egg whites onto the batter and beat it in to incorporate, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 mins. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out reasonably clean, but the best indication that it is done is a smooth top with perhaps a few cracks, and a subtle springiness to the cake when gently prodded. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.
• To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Put the cream and butter in a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts, but don't let it boil. Pour it over the chocolate and leave for 1-2 mins to melt, then stir to form a smooth, glossy ganache. When the cake has cooled, remove from the tin and place it on a cake stand or platter. When the ganache has cooled to a spreadable consistency, spread generously over the entire surface of the cake - as neatly or as messily as desired.
• To make the hazelnut spikes, place a large saucepan over a medium heat to get hot. Add the sugar and continue heating until dissolved. Increase heat and bubble, swirling the pan from time to time, until the caramel turns a gorgeous amber colour - but don't stir as this will cause the caramel to crystallise. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the caramel to cool and thicken to the consistency of golden syrup - if it sets too solid, simply place it over a low heat to melt again.
• Use a cocktail stick or wooden skewer to push into each hazelnut - make sure that you don't push it in where the seam is or the hazelnut will split. Place a sheet of baking parchment on the floor directly underneath your work surface - this will catch any drops of caramel. Dredge the hazelnut through the thickened caramel, coating it very generously indeed. Secure the cocktail stick to the work surface with some sticky tape or wedge under a heavy pan, so that the caramel covered hazelnut hangs over the edge. Allow the caramel to drip, like a stalactite, towards the floor and set hard. Repeat with all the hazelnuts and allow the caramel to set. When hardened, use scissors to gently trim the fine threads of caramel off the more robust, decorative spikes. Arrange the hazelnuts, spikes pointing up, in the centre of the cake.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TORTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and coffee. Beat just until combined., Pour into 2 greased and floured 6-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small saucepan, melt chocolate with cream and sugar over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; whisk in Nutella. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until frosting reaches spreading consistency, stirring occasionally. , Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls and hazelnuts if desired.