Crunchy hazelnut cake

Well, I think you must have understood by now, I have a certain passion for hazelnuts ; a good part of the recipes in my blog contain them and it's not by chance ;) So here I am again with a hazelnut cake, combined with a few small touches of milk chocolate. In short, a rather easy cake, not too long to make, and perfect for autumn ! I made it in a circle of 18cm in diameter but it was quite difficult to cut it because of the thickness, so I advise you to make it in a circle of 22cm to have thinner layers.

Prep time : 1 hour + 25 minutes cooking
For a 22cm cake | 8 servings :

Hazelnut pastry cream :

55g liquid cream

40g whole milk

25g sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

15g cornstarch

70g hazelnut praline

Heat the milk with the cream.

Whisk the egg, yolk, sugar and cornstarch.

Pour half of the hot milk over it, then pour it back into the pan.

Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the hazelnut praliné.

Place in a dish, put a plastic wrap on it and cool completely in the refrigerator.

Hazelnut financier :

75g butter

75g egg whites

85g powdered sugar

50g hazelnut powder

25g flour

A pinch of salt

30g hazelnuts

Prepare a brown butter: melt the butter and let it crackle until you get a nice golden color and a hazelnut smell. Let it cool down.

Mix the egg whites with the powdered sugar and hazelnut powder. Then add the flour and the salt, and finish avec the butter.

Pour into a buttered and floured 22cm diameter mould, sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, then bake in the oven preheated to 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Check cooking with a knife.

Allow to cool, then remove from the mould.

Puffed rice / spelt crunchy layer :

100g milk chocolate

25g puffed rice or spelt

Melt the chocolate, then add the puffed rice or spelt.

Spread the crunchy layer in a 22cm circle, then immediately place the financier on top, pressing down well.

Place in the refrigerator or freezer for the crisp to crystallize.

Chocolate coating :

200g milk chocolate

35g chopped hazelnuts

When the crunchy layer and the financier are cold, unmold the cake.

Gently melt the milk chocolate, without exceeding 35°C, then add the chopped hazelnuts.

Spread the chocolate coating on the cake (I covered it completely, under, over and sides) with a brush, being careful not to get a layer too thick. Put it in the fridge again so that the chocolate crystallizes.

Hazelnut diplomate cream :

Pastry cream

100g liquide cream

Whip the liquid cream into a not too firm whipped cream.

Whisk the pastry cream and add a quarter of the whipped cream to it, stirring vigorously. Then add the rest gently with a maryse.

Put the diplomate cream in a piping bag with a plain tip.

Finishing :

Hazelnut

Praliné

Pipe the diplomate cream on the cake, then decorate with praline and hazelnuts. Your cake is ready, enjoy !