Viennese Hazelnut Cake

The great masters of the Viennese patisserie don't settle for reproductions or copies of existing recipes. As proven with the Viennese hazelnut cake.

Inspiration and art have an important place in their creations. As one of my sisters puts it: "This one is supergood".

Ingredients

 Batter:

  • 100g all purpose flower
  • 100g grated hazelnuts
  • 200g fine sugar
  • 50g corn starch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

 Frosting:

  • 1,2 liters heavy cream 40%
  • 160g fine sugar
  • 50g grated hazelnuts
  • Whip cream stabilizer
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Let's Make a Hazelnut Cake

  1. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt using a hand mixer. When they start to firm up add half the sugar gradually. Egg whites should be firm and shiny.
  2. Beat the yolks with the rest of the sugar until it's pale yellow and foamy. Add the vanilla extract and grated hazelnuts gradually. 
  3. Combine flour, starch and baking powder together.
  4. Take some of the egg whites and combine with yolk mix. Then add the rest of the egg whites. 
  5. Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites/yolks and fold everything with a rubber spatula. There should not be any traces left of the beaten egg whites.
  6. Cover bottom of a spring form (24 - 26cm) with baking paper and grease sides. Pour in the batter and level with spatula. 
  7. Bake at 180° for 30 to 35 minutes. Use a skewer to see if the cake is evenly baked.
  8. Let completely cool on rack.

 Whipped cream:

  1.  Make sure the heavy cream is very cold. Take a bowl with cold water, put ice cubes in it. Put the heavy cream bowl on the ice water and beat with a hand mixer.
  2. Add the stabilizer and the vanilla. Gradually add the sugar.
  3. Stop battering when the cream starts to fold.
  4. Using a whisk, combine the grated hazelnuts with the whipped cream.


Cut the cold cake horizontally 2 times, so you have 3 layers of cake. With a metal spatula, spread a layer (about 1 cm thick) of the whipped cream on the bottom cake part.

Put the middle cake part on top and spread another layer of the whipped cream on this cake part too. Cover with top cake part.

Cover the whole cake with the remainder of the nut cream using an offset spatula. When finished, decorate using a piping bag with your preferred nozzle. If you wish you can use whip cream without grated hazel nuts for decoration (as on the photo).

The Viennese hazelnut cake traditionally contains grated hazelnut in all ingredients.


Tools used: Hand mixer, whisk, silicone spatula, metal spatula, sieve, bowls.





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