Dulcey cake, pecan & vanilla

Here is the recipe for a cake I made a few weeks ago but hadn't had the time to write down yet! Like every February, we celebrate my husband's birthday, and generally, I make a vanilla pecan cake (one of his favorite combinations): a charlotte last year, a tart the year before, and this year it's a cake/dessert that also includes dulcey chocolate, this biscuit-flavored chocolate that pairs very well with pecans and vanilla of course! It's an easy cake to make, you just need to start the day before for the namelaka to crystallize in the refrigerator.

Equipment:
Piping bags
12mm nozzle
14mm small four nozzle
22cm ring
Rolling pin

Ingredients:
I used Koro pecan puree and pecans: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 5% off the entire site (non-affiliated).
I used Norohy vanilla & Valrhona Dulcey chocolate: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 20% off the entire site (affiliated).

Preparation time: 1h10 + 40 minutes baking time
For a 22cm diameter cake:

Dulcey vanilla namelaka:

1 vanilla pod
115g of dulcey
70g of whole milk
1.3g of gelatin
135g of 35% fat cream

Soak the gelatin in cold water.
Heat the milk with the vanilla, add the rehydrated and wrung-out gelatin, then pour them over the previously melted chocolate. Mix to obtain a smooth and shiny ganache, then add the cold cream and mix again.

Film the namelaka and let it crystallize in the refrigerator for several hours, if possible overnight.

Pecan shortbread:

75g of butter
80g of sugar
1 egg yolk
100g of flour
35g of pecans

Mix the softened butter with the sugar, then add the egg yolk.

Then, add the flour and finally the chopped pecans.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, then refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes. Then, remove the top sheet of parchment paper, and bake the shortbread for about 15 minutes at 170°C. Immediately upon removal from the oven, carefully cut small squares of shortbread and let them cool.

Of course, you will have too much shortbread, but it's hard to make a smaller quantity of dough, and the shortbread is also delicious on its own with a coffee 😉

Dulcey sponge cake:

3 eggs
75g of sugar
135g of dulcey
100g of butter
160g of flour
7g of baking powder
20g of whole cream
20g of pecans

Melt the dulcey chocolate with the butter.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the melted chocolate and butter.

Incorporate the flour, baking powder, and finally the cream and chopped pecans.
Pour the batter into a 22cm diameter ring or mold.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes at 170°C (the tip of a knife inserted into the cake should come out clean).
Let it cool completely.

Rock glaze:

150g of dulcey
20g of neutral oil
35g of finely chopped pecans

Melt the chocolate. Add the neutral oil, then the pecans.

Trim the top of the cake for a smooth surface.

Dip the cake into the glaze (the bottom and sides of the cake should be covered with glaze).

Pecan Chantilly:

200g of 35% fat cream
20g of icing sugar
25g of pecan puree

Whip the cream; when it starts to thicken, add the icing sugar and pecan puree.
Pipe the Chantilly and dulcey namelaka onto the cake, then add the pecan shortbread squares and a few whole pecans before indulging!