February is invariably chocolate month in our home. This, for two main reasons - our oldest munchkin's birthday and Valentine's Day.
This month our little, not so little one anymore boy turned 10! Two-digits and that is scary for me as a mom. Because now everything that was in his future - the-far-away - one-day-future doesn't feel so far away anymore.
All of a sudden I can't help thinking that before the decade's out, he'll have a bobbing adam's apple, and hair - loads of hair - all over, and there'll be loaded looks between him and girls and that's not all - no longer the "ewww she's a girl", not to mention in a heart beat he's about to be taller then me which mind you is no great achievement considering I'm all of 5 ft, 2 inches. But nevertheless, how do you discipline a kid who is a ft taller than you? Oh I know, I'll definitely be putting than step ladder to good use. This by the way, is already the butt of family jokes - mom on a step ladder flaying her arms all around - snigger, snigger....
Not to mention - the driving. He'll be driving and I'll be sitting in the passenger seat. I need to take up crocheting or knitting just so I can keep my hands in my lap and have them do something other than clench. Not to mention him off to college and then into the world. You hear me, into the world.
And all I can think while all this is banging around in my head is that he isn't ready for the world. There is so much he has to learn, so much he doesn't know, so much I don't want him to know so soon. So I am holding on to the snippets of what will be some of our best memories and I relish the meals I cook for him and the joy on his face when he sees me baking his birthday cake. The cake he says I must bake because "Oh mum, you bake the best cakes in the world"!
I hold on to these beautiful precious moments and bake this cake, because before long he won't just be my little munchkin but a young man and then, a man. And I think of him stumbling upon this post decades later, and reading my words, seeing the snapshot of this cake and hopefully just for a moment he'll bask in the sunny memory of the day - the day he was 10.
A time when life was simple and uncomplicated.
I hope. I love.
Gather the ingredients:
Cake : 2 cups chopped hazelnuts, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup cocoa powder+ 2 tbs for dusting the cake, 2 tbs milk & 1/4 tsp salt.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting: 2 tbs softened butter, 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup 'nutella' & 1 cup heavy cream.
Also required is parchment paper, nonstick baking spray & 11" x 17" jelly roll pan.
Preheat the oven to 375 deg F
- In a microwave safe dish, place the chopped hazelnuts and roast for 1-1/2 minutes. Stir and return to the microwave for another 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the hazelnuts and sugar and pulse till the hazelnuts are finely chopped (but not to a dust). Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.
- Continue pulsing the hazelnuts and 3/4 cup sugar for a few minutes till it is a fine powder.
- To this add the cocoa powder and all-purpose flour. Pulse once again till combined.
- In a separate clean & dry mixing bowl, combine the mixture from the food processor with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, place the eggs, pure vanilla extract, 1/2 cup sugar and light brown sugar. On medium speed, beat till the mixture is pale and creamy.
- While the mixer is still running, add the dry flour mixture and 2 tbs milk in two batches and stir on medium speed to combine but not over working the batter so as to deflate the eggs. As soon as the mixture is combined, turn the mixer off and set aside.
- Rinse, clean and dry the mixer bowl and blade and set aside for further use.
- Line a 11" x 7" jelly roll pan with parchment paper with a overhang for easy removal. Spray non-stick spray over the parchment paper.
- Empty the thick gooey batter in the pan and smooth as best you can with a rubber spatula. Spread the batter all over the pan especially in the corners and try to get it as evenly thick as possibly.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 13-15 minutes. If using a dark colored pan, check after 11 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle 2 tbs cocoa powder on the entire surface of the pan. Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Using the parchment paper overhangs, carefully flip the cake over a baking rack, peel the parchment paper away from the back and set aside to cool completely.
- Using a measuring tape measure 4" widths with toothpicks all the way down its long side so when you cut the cake you end up with 4 rectangles approx 4" x 11" each.
- While the cake is baking prepare the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- Bring the cream to a boil on medium heat. Turn off heat and empty the chocolate chips into the cream. Whisk till all the chocolate has melted and thickened into a thick smooth sauce. Set aside to cool.
- Remove 2 tbs of the sauce into a resealable plastic bag and set aside.
- In the clean mixer bowl, add softened butter and nutella. On medium-low speed mix to combine.
- While the mixer is still running, pour the chocolate sauce into the bowl and run the mixer for a few minutes till the ganache is smooth, creamy and thick.
- Place the mixer bowl as-is in the refrigerator to cool for about 10 minutes or so or until the ganache is a thick frosting-like spreadable consistency.
- On a clean cutting board, place 1 rectangle layeron a cutting board or on a serving platter or foil covered foam board. I assembled mine on the cutting board and then trasnfered the assembled cake to the platter because I didn't want to get my board messed up.
- Spread one-quarter frosting evenly over the cake with a flat cake knife. Sprinkle one-third of the sugar-hazelnut mixture evenly over the frosting.
- Top with anotehr cake rectangle and repeat twice till you are left with the final cake layer stacked on top.
- Spread all the remaining frosting on top of the cake.
- At this point I chose to take a bread knife and gently trim any uneven edges from the cake all around for a clean finish. This step is optional.
- Using a serrated cake edge held at an angle, create a wave-ridge pattern over the entire top of the cake.
- Snip a small hole in the corner of the plastic bag with the reserved chocolate sauce. Decorate the cake with lines.
- Let it stand for atleast 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator for upto 2 days.
- If refrigerated, bring the cake to room temperature (which will take several hours in cooler weather) before serving.
This cake calls for a celebration but you don't need a reason to celebrate!
The milk chocolate is swirled with deep, dark chocolate cocoa for intense flavor, astounding lightness, and all-out deliciousness.
Each moist, rich layer floats on a cloud of our heavenly chocolate ganache and is finished to perfection with wonderful hazelnut topping & lusciously rich chocolate & nutella ganache frosting.
Your senses will delight with each bite. Ours did and I can vouch for 7 little kiddies at the birthday party who felt the same!
Recipe for
Chocolate Hazelnut Pave Cake
Preparation time - 1 hour
Baking time- 15 minutes
Chilling time - 2-3 hours or Overnight
Serves 6-8
Shopping list
Hazelnut- chocolate Cake -
2 cups chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder+ 2 tbs for dusting the cake
2 tbs milk
1/4 tsp salt
Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
2 tbs softened butter
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup nutella
1 cup heavy cream
Also required is parchment paper, nonstick baking spray & 11" x 17" jelly roll pan.
Method -
Preheat the oven to 375 deg F
- In a microwave safe dish, place the chopped hazelnuts and roast for 1-1/2 minutes. Stir and return to the microwave for another 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the hazelnuts and sugar and pulse till the hazelnuts are finely chopped (but not to a dust). Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.
- Continue pulsing the hazelnuts and 3/4 cup sugar for a few minutes till it is a fine powder. To this add the cocoa powder and all-purpose flour. Pulse once again till combined.
- In a separate clean & dry mixing bowl, combine the mixture from the food processor with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, place the eggs, pure vanilla extract, 1/2 cup sugar and light brown sugar. On medium speed, beat till the mixture is pale and creamy.
- While the mixer is still running, add the dry flour mixture and 2 tbs milk in two batches and stir on medium speed to combine but not over working the batter so as to deflate the eggs. As soon as the mixture is combined, turn the mixer off and set aside. Rinse, clean and dry the mixer bowl and blade and set aside for further use.
- Line a 11" x 7" jelly roll pan with parchment paper with a overhang for easy removal. Spray non-stick spray over the parchment paper. Empty the thick gooey batter in the pan and smooth as best you can with a rubber spatula. Spread the batter all over the pan especially in the corners and try to get it as evenly thick as possibly.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 13-15 minutes. If using a dark colored pan, check after 11 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle 2 tbs cocoa powder on the entire surface of the pan. Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes. Using the parchment paper overhangs, carefully flip the cake over a baking rack, peel the parchment paper away from the back and set aside to cool completely.
- Using a measuring tape measure 4" widths with toothpicks all the way down its long side so when you cut the cake you end up with 4 rectangles approx 4" x 11" each.
- While the cake is baking prepare the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- Bring the cream to a boil on medium heat. Turn off heat and empty the chocolate chips into the cream. Whisk till all the chocolate has melted and thickened into a thick smooth sauce. Set aside to cool.
- Remove 2 tbs of the sauce into a resealable plastic bag and set aside.
- In the clean mixer bowl, add softened butter and nutella. On medium-low speed mix to combine. While the mixer is still running, pour the chocolate sauce into the bowl and run the mixer for a few minutes till the ganache is smooth, creamy and thick. Place the mixer bowl as-is in the refrigerator to cool for about 10 minutes or so or until the ganache is a thick frosting-like spreadable consistency.
- On a clean cutting board, place 1 rectangle layeron a cutting board or on a serving platter or foil covered foam board. I assembled mine on the cutting board and then trasnfered the assembled cake to the platter because I didn't want to get my board messed up.
- Spread one-quarter frosting evenly over the cake with a flat cake knife. Sprinkle one-third of the sugar-hazelnut mixture evenly over the frosting.
- Top with anotehr cake rectangle and repeat twice till you are left with the final cake layer stacked on top. Spread all the remaining frosting on top of the cake.
- At this point I chose to take a bread knife and gently trim any uneven edges from the cake all around for a clean finish. This step is optional.
- Using a serrated cake edge held at an angle, create a wave-ridge pattern over the entire top of the cake. Snip a small hole in the corner of the plastic bag with the reserved chocolate sauce. Decorate the cake with lines.
Make Ahead tips:
Let it stand for atleast 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator for upto 2 days. If refrigerated, bring the cake to room temperature (which will take several hours in cooler weather) before serving.
