Puzzle cake

      ''For the July Daring Baker’s Challenge, Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to bake a cake. But not just any cake; she asked us to add in a special surprise for our eyes as well as our taste buds!''

                                              Plain chiffon sponge cake

                                   3                                                                  egg whites

                                   3                                                                  egg yolks

                                   60ml                                                            oil

                                   90ml                                                            water

                                   150gr                                                           cake flour

                                   150gr                                                           granulated sugar

                                   6gr                                                               baking powder

                                   2gr                                                               salt

                                   as preferred                                                 vanilla

                                   Chocolate chiffon sponge cake

                                   as in plain chiffon with the substitution of 32gr flour with cocoa powder

                                   Vanilla buttercream

                                   170gr                                                            butter, room temperature

                                   50gr                                                              shortening, room temperature

                                   3                                                                   egg whites, room temperature

                                   100gr                                                            granulated sugar

                                   60gr                                                              glucose

                                   45gr                                                              water

                                   as preferred                                                  vanilla

                                   Hazelnut buttercream

                                   60gr                                                              hazelnut praline (caramelised hazelnuts)

                                   240gr                                                            buttercream

                                  Chocolate buttercream

                                  75gr                                                               dark chocolate, melted

                                  rest of the buttercream

                                  Syrup

                                  40ml                                                              hazelnut liqueur

                                  200gr                                                             simple syrup

For the chiffon sponges mix the ingredients for each flavor in separate bowls excluding the egg whites and 50gr of sugar from each recipe. Whisk the mixtures for about 3min and separately beat the egg whites and sugar to meringue. Then fold half of the meringue in each mixture and fill two 20cm-diameter rings sealed on the bottom with aluminum foil. Bake at 170C for about 45min, let cool and preferably refrigerate before cutting. Continue with the buttercream by thoroughly mixing the butter with shortening. Then combine the sugar with glucose and water in a small pot and keep watching the temperature with a candy thermometer until it reaches 100C.

At this point start whisking the egg whites at high speed . When they become foamy and the syrup reaches soft ball stage at 120C, remove from heat and pour the syrup into the whites in the form of a string dripping between the bowl and the whisk, while whisking in medium speed. Continue beating at high speed until cool. Making sure that the meringue is not warm enough to melt the butter, gradually whisk it in also adding the vanilla. If necessary soften the hazelnut praline with some liqeuer to get a foldable consistency and combine it with 240gr of the buttercream. In the rest of the buttercream fold the melted chocolate with the last quite cooled down.

Cut each sponge cake in four layers keeping three from the one and 2-3 from the other. If you choose the chocolate one as the first, place one layer on the bottom and brush with the mixture of liqeuer and simple syrup. Then spread a layer of hazelnut buttercream 3mm thick and cover with a plain sponge layer also moistened with syrup. Spread hazelnut buttercream and repeat the same process ending up with a plain chiffon on top. After refrigerating for a couple of hours, take a sharp pointy knife and insert it diagonally 2cm from the sides of the top and towards the bottom at a distance of 8cm from the periphery.

Cut all way parallel to the perimeter and remove a cone shaped piece with two bases measuring 16 and 4cm. Set aside and spread a layer of chocolate buttercream on the remaining cake, placing a chocolate sponge on top. Moisten with syrup and push the layer down to make sure it touches the sides of the hole beneath. Then turn the cake upside down and push down the sides to invert the shape of the hole. Spread another layer of chocolate buttercream and replace the cone in the hole. Optionally cover with chocolate buttercream and another sponge on top or just finish by frosting the cake with leftovers of the filling.

Chocolate tart with orange caramel and hazelnut

The first recipe from missed previous challenges that I tried was Rachael's chocolate and caramel tart under the title ''Life of pie''. Even though with the addition of a hazelnut mousse my variation seems to fall out of this category, I think it was a very complementing combination.

                               Crust
                               20gr                                                          cocoa powder, shifted
                               130gr                                                        flour
                               60gr                                                          butter
                               70gr                                                          powdered sugar
                               2                                                               egg yolks
                               as preferred                                              vanilla
                               2Tbs                                                          chopped orange confit
 
                               Orange caramel
                               170gr                                                         orange juice
                               48gr                                                           glucose
                               48gr                                                           sugar
                               48gr                                                           heavy cream
                               54gr                                                           white chocolate
                               54gr                                                           butter, room temperature
                               3,3gr                                                          sheet gelatin, softened in cold water
                               1/2tsp                                                        orange zest
 
                               Chocolate filling
                               2                                                                 large eggs
                              100ml                                                           whole milk
                              200ml                                                           heavy cream
                              200gr                                                            dark chocolate
 
                              Hazelnut nougat cream
                              6,87gr                                                           sheet gelatin, soaked in the liquor
                              40gr                                                              hazelnut liquor
                              400gr                                                            heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
                              140gr                                                            pastry cream
                              95gr                                                              hazelnuts
                              35gr                                                              simple syrup
                              as proffered                                                  vanilla

For the caramel layer heat heavy cream with the orange juice and zest and meanwhile melt the glucose in a separate pan. Gradually dissolve the sugar and cook the mixture to caramel. Pour in the cream and continue stirring until the caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat, let slightly cool and dissolve in the softened gelatin. When the mixture is not too hot incorporate the butter and melt in the chocolate. Let cool and refrigerate until use. For the sablé crust cream butter with sugar until fluffy and slowly beat in the yolks with vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and cocoa powder and mix only until incorporated. Then wrap well in plastic and chill until firm. Meanwhile prepare the pastry cream base for the mousse and while it is still hot stir and dissolve in the softened gelatin along with the liquor. Combine the hazelnuts with simple syrup in a blender, beat them to paste and also incorporate into the pastry cream mixture. Let it cool to room temperature, then fold in the whipped cream with a spatula and fill a 20cm-diameter ring sealed with with plastic wrap on the bottom. Chill in the freezer until set.

 
When ready, soften the chilled tart dough with a rolling pin and roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of 3-6mm. Fill with the dough sheet the bottom and sides of a 20cm-diameter and 4cm tall tart ring, force the confit pieces into the bottom dough and line with foil filled with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 180C until set, around 9 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil and bake another 8 minutes, until dry. Prepare the chocolate filling by melting the chopped chocolate in heated cream and milk and after incorporating the eggs pour the mixture in the tart shell. Continue baking at 180C for 30 minutes, until the filling has set but is still wobbly in the center. Allow to completely cool to room temperature and cover the top with as much caramel as fitting. The caramel should have a viscid consistency when poured but if it has set, it can be broken by whisking and spread. Refrigerate the tart for a couple of hours and finish by placing the molded mousse layer on top and releasing the metal ring with a blowtorch. Finally decorate with tart crust leftovers, orange confit and optionally modeling chocolate.

Coffee and praline torte

                          Dacquoise
                          105gr                                                       whites
                           50gr                                                        granulated sugar
                           70gr                                                        almonds
                           40gr                                                        powdered sugar
                           15gr                                                        corn flour
                           10gr                                                        flour

                           Coffee bavaroise
                           290gr                                                      milk
                           125gr                                                      heavy cream
                           125gr                                                      heavy cream whipped to soft peaks
                            70gr                                                       coffee beans coarsely chopped
                            85gr                                                       granulated sugar
                            5                                                            yolks
                            8gr                                                         gelatin leaves

                           Praline bavaroise
                           130gr                                                      milk
                           130gr                                                      heavy cream
                           3gr                                                         yolks
                           25gr                                                       sugar
                           4gr                                                         gelatin leaves
                           250gr                                                      gianduja
                           195gr                                                      heavy cream whipped to soft peaks
                           as preferred                                            caramelized and chopped hazelnuts 

                           Cocoa glaze
                           65gr                                                        water
                           40gr                                                        cocoa
                           130gr                                                      sugar
                           85gr                                                        heavy cream
                           6gr                                                          gelatin sheats
                           as preferred                                            vanilla                        

The directions for the glaze are given in the ''Orange and chocolate -coffee torte'' and the cocoa gelee can be made much time in advance and kept refridgerated. Start with the dacquoise by shifting the flours and powdered sugar together. Beat the whites with the sugar until stiff and fold in the dry ingredients stirring gently with a spatula. Spread two 20cm-diameter circles of batter on parchement paper or silpat and bake at a preheated oven to 180C for 10-15min until the cake is lightly golden and springs back when touched. Set aside and prepare the coffee filling by warming milk with the first portion of heavy cream and the coffee beans in a saucepan. As soon as it boils remove from heat, pour it through a strainer to completely remove any coffee remainings and add some milk if necessary to get the 415gr of the mixture you began with. 

Then return it to heat, put the gelatin in cold water to soften and in a separate bowl whisk the yolks with sugar until just foamy. Before the milk starts boiling, temper with it the yolks whisking constantly and combine the mixtures in the saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring and watch the rising temperature with a candy thermometer so that it doesn't exceed 85C. At this point where the cream has thicken, remove from heat, dissolve in the gelatin and set aside to cool. Meanwhile you can whip both the cream portions asked for each filling to soft peaks and keep in fridge. Proceed with the praline filling following the same procedure (as for anglaise) with milk, cream, sugar and eggs with the exception that you add the gianduja after incorporating the gelatin.

When both of the creams are just lukewarm, stir in the whipped cream and start constracting the cake. Place on the bottom of a 20cm-diameter ring the one dacquoise layer and spread half of the praline cream over it. Just drop the chopped hazelnuts on top and cover with the other cake layer. Fill with coffee bavaroise (you may keep some out) and finish with the rest of the praline cream. In order to avoid mixing of the two fillings or to have the one layer as a central piece (in this case of color contranst it won't really make a difference) , you can first put the coffee cream in a smaller form and chill it until just set. When you are done with the layers, chill the whole cake or refridgerate overnight and get the glaze ready to use either warming or cooling it to a slightly warm temperature. Then poure it at its proper consistency over the torte and refridgerate before decorating or serving.



Apple pie with hazelnut
     

More like a coffee cake, this pie has a soft texture and quite moist dough. For the filling I often use a thickened applesauce that can easily be substituted by any kind of jam.

              Cake

               320gr                   self raising flour

               50gr                     almond flour

               50gr                     hazelnuts

               140gr                   butter

               100gr                   powdered sugar

               50gr                    milk

               1                        egg

            

              Filling

             400gr                    granny smith apples

             400gr plus 3Tbs      apple juice

             80gr                     granulated sugar

             1/2                      lemon (juice and rind)

             20gr                     corn flour

             as preffered         cinnamon

      

Starting with the filling, peel and cut the apples to small cubes adding some of the lemon juice.Warm the apple juice in a saucepan with cinnamon, rind and the rest of the lemon juice and dissolve corn flour with the 3Tbs in a cup. Pour the content of the cup in the saucepan and let the mixture boil for 2min. Add the apples and let them boil for 8min until they have softened but not dissolved. Refrigerate the filling in a jar untill set. For the cake beat and cream butter with 80gr of the sugar. Powder hazelnuts with almond and 20gr sugar until a thick paste forms (as shown in the image below). Continue whipping the butter adding the nut paste. Blend in half of the needed flour and the milk, whip the egg white with a tsp of caster sugar to meringue and fold it to the mixture. Add the rest of the flour, homogenise gently,wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To finish, preheat the oven to 180C and cover the bottom of a 20cm-diametre ring with half of the dough. Sread the filling on top, cover with dough strips, apply egg wash using the remaining egg yolk and bake for 35min.