This cake is relatively easy to make and can be presented as a neat layer cake or, as I chose to do in this case, in a more ‘artistic’ way. Kees hates regular meringue, but he loves hazelnut meringue. Traditionally, hazelnut meringue cake is made with a complicated butter cream. The butter cream in this recipe may be slightly less creamy, but it is a lot easier to make and very good all the same. Hazelnut meringe cakes are often coffee-flavored as well, but I decided to use hazelnut liqueur to flavor the butter cream instead.
I based this recipe on this Dutch recipe I found online.
Ingredients
For 8 servings
150 grams (1 cup) hazelnuts, peeled
150 grams (4) egg whites
500 grams (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar
125 grams granulated sugar
2 Tbsp corn starch
300 grams (2 sticks + 5 Tbsp) butter, soft
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico)
Preparation
Preheat the oven at 180C/350F. Roast the hazelnuts in the oven at 180C/350F for 10 minutes or until golden.
Lower the oven temperature to 130C/265F once the hazelnuts are done. Chop half the hazelnuts roughly with a knife.
Grind the other half of the roasted hazelnuts into a fine powder in your food processor.
Add the corn starch to the hazelnut powder and stir to mix evenly.
Put the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk. Start mixing at high speed. Mix 150 grams of the confectioners’ sugar with the granulated sugar and the salt, and add this to the egg whites in a thin stream.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the hazelnut powder to the egg whites.
Fold the hazelnut powder into the egg whites using a rubber spatula, making slow movements from below.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out the egg white mixture on the baking sheet, and bake for 90 minutes at 130C/265F.
Allow the hazelnut meringue to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the easy butter cream by combining the butter, remaining confectioners’ sugar, and hazelnut liqueur.
Whisk until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Start at a low speed until the confectioners’ sugar has been incorporated, then increase to higher speed.
Break the meringue into chunks. Arrange the chunks on a serving tray and put a dollop of butter cream on top of each chunk.
Add more layers of hazelnut meringue and butter cream to your liking. Finish with butter cream and then sprinkle with the coarsely chopped hazelnuts. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.
Serve on individual plates.
Stefan's Gourmet Blog 
Now now…proper buttercream can look intimidating but you, of all people, would get the hang of it immediately! This looks lovely though
LikeLike
I do think I can do it, I just didn’t have time. Next time I’ll do it properly, perhaps with a coffee flavored butter cream.
LikeLike
Very nice! I have quite a few hazelnuts in the freezer and this sounds like it would be easy to do. Thanks for sharing, love your recipes.
LikeLike
Thanks, Cheryl! 🙂
LikeLike
All I can say is YUMMY and Very creative .You need to open a restaurant So I can make reservations.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Don’t miss my contest on aubergines! 🙂 ostriche
LikeLike
Stefan, Abba and I love hazelnuts. We have both lived in Europe and have a strong affinity for them from these travels. They were generally served in chocolate or even on salads or pasta. However, I have never had a cake likes this (with hazelnuts!). I adore a pillowy meringue or pavlova – and the addition noisettes are just ingenious. I am bookmarking this for Abba’s next birthday. 🙂 Tell me – what inspired you to make this cake? Was it for a gathering with friends – or just a lovely, creative whim one weekend morning? Thank you for sharing. Warm regards – Shanna
LikeLike
This type of cake is quite common here, although it is often made with coffee-flavored cream (mocca). It was for a dinner with some friends who like to cook as well — we made four courses together we had all never prepared before and then ate the lot together with our husband/girlfriends. The creativity was mostly in the shape I chose 😉
P.S. Every time you write about Abba, I can’t help but think of Swedish pop music.
LikeLike
Dear Stefan,
Abba, a Swedish pop music star. HMMM. This is a funny vision! 🙂 You make me laugh! I will pass this along. He will find it humorous.
Your dinner sounds sounds so perfect and fun. I love cooking with others that enjoy it – and then sharing with our partners! Isn’t it fun to be creative? What a great memory.
Take good care,
Shanna
LikeLike
You have heard of Abba the Swedish pop band (2 guys, 2 girls) from the seventies, right?
LikeLike
Stefan – YES. The song “Dancing Queen!?” Abba (the surgeon, not the pop star…NOT the pop star!) just finished an amazing dinner (he has been on call for too many days straight, so he is getting the royal treatment) and is being played an Album from Spotify (thanks to ABBA). I will give you the credits! This is too funny. Take good care, friend. Best wishes, Shanna
LikeLike
P.S. Abba said “They are HORRIBLE.” oops…….
LikeLike
LOL
LikeLike