For January, Jelena from A Kingdom for a Cake invited us to begin the year with a celebratory, dreamy cake. The challenge was the Esterhazy torte, the classic Hungarian confection often called the Hungarian dream. What better way to start the year than with a sweet dream?
This month’s Daring Bakers challenge was the Esterhazy torte — a sumptuous Hungarian cake built from five layers of toasted hazelnut dacquoise filled with a hazelnut buttercream made from egg yolks, traditionally finished with glace icing and a chocolate cobweb pattern. I decided to put a twist on the classic by adding chocolate. Why stop at a plain hazelnut cake when you can make it chocolate-hazelnut? I’m very glad I did: the result tasted like a giant Ferrero Rocher. This isn’t a strictly traditional Esterhazy, but it’s undeniably delicious.
Rather than the classic hazelnut buttercream, I made a chocolate-hazelnut praline crème pâtissière that tasted almost like Nutella. It was tempting enough to eat by the spoonful and paired perfectly with the dacquoise layers. Once combined, the cake becomes soft, gooey and utterly irresistible. The recipe has several steps, but you can spread the work over two days if you prefer. Toast the nuts (don’t skip this — toasting intensifies their flavour), make the praline and the crème pâtissière, and bake the dacquoise on the first day. Assemble and ice the cake the next day. The icing and chocolate decoration on top are optional; you can simply spread extra crème pâtissière over the top and sides if you prefer a simpler finish. Stored in the refrigerator, the cake keeps well for several days — though I found it hard not to nibble a slice each time I opened the fridge.
Esterhazy Torte (Hazelnut & Chocolate Layer Cake)
Ingredients
Chocolate-hazelnut praline crème pâtissière
- 500 ml (2 cups + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp) full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- 100 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
- 40 g (⅓ cup) cocoa powder
- 50 g (2 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
- 75 g (2.5 oz) hazelnuts
- 75 g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar
- ½ tsp oil
Hazelnut dacquoise
- 125 g (4.5 oz) hazelnuts
- 6 egg whites
- 135 g (⅔ cup + 1 tsp) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour, sifted
Decoration
- 1 heaped tbsp apricot jam
- 25 g (1 oz) dark chocolate
- ½ tsp sunflower oil
- 150 g (1 + ½ cups) icing (powdered) sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Hot water (to adjust icing consistency)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Toast all the hazelnuts on a baking tray in a single layer. Start with a cold oven and heat to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Roast until the skins darken and the nuts smell toasty, about 15–25 minutes. Watch them closely so they don’t burn.
- Remove the nuts from the oven and tip them onto a clean tea towel. Wrap and rub to remove as much skin as possible; it’s fine if some skin remains. Set aside to cool.
- For the crème pâtissière, line a shallow tray with greaseproof paper. Heat the milk with the vanilla until it boils. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and pale, then sift in the flour and cocoa and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pan.
- Bring to the boil while whisking, then reduce to a simmer and cook a few more minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Spread the custard onto the lined tray, cover with clingfilm touching the surface to prevent a skin, and chill until cold.
- Make the praline: line a small tray with greaseproof paper. Place 75 g hazelnuts and 75 g sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan and heat, stirring, until the sugar melts and turns caramel coloured. Quickly pour onto the lined tray and cool.
- Break the cooled praline into pieces and blitz in a food processor with the oil until it forms a paste. Chill until needed.
- To make the dacquoise, grind 125 g hazelnuts to a powder, taking care not to over-process into paste. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
- Cut five circles of greaseproof paper for a 15 cm (6 in) round tin (or use multiple tins). Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar until you have a stiff, glossy meringue.
- Carefully fold in the vanilla, ground hazelnuts and sifted flour. Divide the mixture, spreading one-fifth into each lined tin. Bake each layer for about 15 minutes — they should feel set but not sticky.
- Remove layers from tins with the paper still underneath and cool on a flat surface. Repeat until you have five layers. Layers can be kept covered overnight if needed.
- To assemble, line your serving tray with greaseproof paper. Beat the chilled crème pâtissière until smooth, then mix in the praline paste. Divide into five equal portions.
- Place one dacquoise layer (paper removed) on the tray, spread one portion of crème pâtissière, and stack the next layer. Repeat, ensuring the final, topmost layer is placed bottom-side-up (no filling on that surface) for a smooth finish. Gently press to level the cake.
- Warm the apricot jam until runny and brush a thin layer over the top of the torte. Chill for about 30 minutes.
- Spread the remaining portion of crème pâtissière around the sides (not the top).
- Melt the chocolate with the oil, stir smooth, and pipe into a bag. Mix the icing sugar, oil and lemon juice; add hot water a teaspoon at a time until the icing is very thick and creamy (not runny).
- Spread the icing over the top using a hot, wet palette knife. Pipe four concentric circles of chocolate on the icing and drag a skewer through to create the traditional web pattern.
- Press the coarsely chopped hazelnuts around the sides to finish. Keep refrigerated.
Notes
1. You will need a total of 300 g (10.5 oz) of hazelnuts. 2. For the praline, hazelnut oil is ideal, but any neutral or nutty oil will work.
Shared with Foodie Fridays, Fiesta Friday, Foodie Friends Friday, Totally Talented Tuesdays and Create Link Inspire.