Hungarian Chocolate And Hazelnut Cake (Esterhazy Torte)

Published Updated
4.5 from 39 votes
46 Comments

Esterhazy Torte! This ultra-indulgent Hungarian Hazelnut and Chocolate Layer Cake is an absolute treat! Also known as Esterhazy Torte, itโ€™s made up of soft layers of hazelnut dacquoise, a silky-smooth hazelnut praline chocolate pastry cream, and is topped with a chocolate and vanilla glaze. And if that wasnโ€™t already indulgent enough, itโ€™s coated in hazelnuts.

Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake with slice taken out
Front on shot of Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake

Nick’s favorite thing about Esterhazy Torteโ€ฆ

I absolutely adore how delicious this cake is. Itโ€™s not overly sweet or grossly rich. But rich in flavour! My favourite thing however is how soft and melt in your mouth it is. So delicious and each layer is a pure delight.

Front on shot of Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake with slice taken out

What does Esterhazy Torte taste like?

Esterhazy Torte, so yum! Thereโ€™s a gorgeous marriage of toasted hazelnut and silky smooth chocolate. Your fork just melts through each layer. The tope is glazed with a sugar glaze and covered in toasted hazelnut on the outside.

What are the ingredients I need?

  • Hazelnuts – If you canโ€™t find skinned hazelnuts, see notes at the end of the recipe on how to make your own skinned hazelnuts.
  • Granulated sugar – also known as regular white sugar.
  • Salt – I used fine salt.
  • Glucose syrup – corn syrup will also work.
  • Bicarb soda – also known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda.
  • Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar.
  • Cocoa powder – I used unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour.
  • Corn starch – also known as corn flour.
  • Eggs – I used large eggs.
  • Milk – I used full cream. Skim and plant based milk will also work.
  • Butter – make sure itโ€™s chilled and make sure itโ€™s cubed for the pastry cream. Make sure the melted butter is cooled slightly before making the glaze.
  • Vanilla ExtractAlways use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if youโ€™d like to try your own!
  • Powdered sugar – also known as icing sugar
Full slice of Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake

Letโ€™s go through each step.

Hazelnut Praline

Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 01
  1. Preheat your oven to 160C / 325F. Youโ€™ll be using a lot of hazelnuts in this recipe. Itโ€™ll be 450g all up. Place all of the hazelnuts on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
  2. Allow to cool.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 02
  1. Place sugar, water, salt and 150g of toasted hazelnuts in a medium sized saucepan on medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add glucose syrup and mix until well combined.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 03
  1. Turn heat down to medium and allow to bubble away, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep golden colored syrup. It will reach 150 – 155C / 300 – 310F on a candy thermometer.
  2. Once it reaches that color and temperature, turn the heat off and add the bicarb soda. Stir immediately until well combined.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 04
  1. Pour onto a baking tray and allow to set for 20 minutes until hard.
  2. Break into smaller pieces and place in a food processor.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 05
  1. Process until it turns into a paste. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until ready to use.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 06
  1. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch and salt into a large mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
  2. Add the egg yolks and whisk before adding all of the warmed milk and whisk until well combined.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 07
  1. Pour into a large saucepan and use a wooden spoon to stir on medium heat until thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
  2. Take off the heat and add about 1/3 of the cubed butter. Stir until well combined.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 08
  1. Then add another 1/3 and repeat until its all in there. Then add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
  2. Pour into a medium sized mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 09
  1. Once chilled, add to a food processor and process until super smooth, about 5 minutes. Make sure you scrape down at least once.
  2. Add the hazelnut praline and process for 2 minutes or until well combined.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 10
  1. Place back in the bowl and chill until ready to use.

Hazelnut Dacquoise

Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 11
  1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 150C / 300F (170C / 340F for no fan). Spray the bottom (not the sides) of four 22cm / 8-inch cake tins and line the bottom with baking paper. If you donโ€™t have four cake tins, just use what you have and bake them one at a time. Set aside. Process hazelnuts – Add the remaining toasted hazelnuts (300g) into a food processor and process until they reach a fine crumb texture. Take out 150g of hazelnuts and set aside to coat the cake when decorating.
  2. Combine hazelnuts and flour – Add the flour into the food processor and process until well combined and the crushed hazelnuts are evenly coated in the flour. Set aside.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 12
  1. Add the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  2. Whisk for 4 minutes or until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla extract and salt and whisk for another 30 seconds.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 13
  1. Add the vanilla extract and salt and whisk for another 30 seconds.
  2. Add dry ingredients – Stop the mixer and add the hazelnut flour mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold through until well combined and no dry ingredients are visible taking care to pay attention to the bottom of the bowl as youโ€™re folding, as thatโ€™s where they like to hide when theyโ€™re added to the meringue! The mixture will be thick. Add the mixture to a piping bag.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 14
  1. Use a spatula to gently fold through until well combined. Add the mixture to a piping bag.
  2. Pipe the mixture into all 4 cake tins. Gently tap on your workbench 3 times. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Assembly

Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 15
  1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (22cm) springform pan with baking paper.
  2. Run a sharp knife around the sides of the cooled cakes to loosen them.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 16
  1. Add one layer of cake into the springform pan.
  2. Use a piece of acetate measuring 25 1/2 inches (65cm) wide and 3 inches (8cm) high in the cake tin. The cake layer will help keep things in place.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 17
  1. Add 1/4 of the chocolate pastry cream and spread around evenly. You can do this using an offset spatula or a tablespoon that has been bent as shown in the video.
  2. Add the next layer and repeat until all 4 layers have been used. Please note: you will have used 3/4 of the chocolate pastry cream and should have another 1/4 left.

Glaze

Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 18
  1. To make the vanilla glaze add the powdered sugar to a small bowl along with the melted butter and mix using a whisk until well combined. To make the chocolate glaze repeat the same process as above using the addition cocoa powder.
  2. Pour the vanilla glaze on top of the cake and spread around.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 19
  1. Add the chocolate glaze to a piping bag and snip the end off. Pipelines on top of the glaze.
  2. Use a toothpick or skewer to drag across the chocolate glaze lines. Place back in the fridge for 4 hour or overnight to set.

Letโ€™s decorate!

Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 20
  1. Take the chilled and set cake out of the springform pan. Slowly unwrap the acetate.
  2. Transfer to a serving plate using the baking paper at the bottom to help you.
Instruction image for Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake 21
  1. Cover the sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate pastry cream.
  2. Finish by covering in the remaining 150g of toasted and crumbed hazelnuts.
Second slice of Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake with bite taken out

My Top Tips for Esterhazy Torte!

  • Storage – This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
  • How to skin hazelnuts – For this recipe youโ€™ll need skinless hazelnuts. If you cannot find store bought hazelnuts you can skin them by placing them on a baking tray and baking them on 160C / 325F for 20 minutes. Once baked, take out of the oven, and pour into a clean tea towel. Bunch up the towel, encasing the hazelnuts inside and rub the heel of your hand on top. This will help the already loose and oily hazelnut skin to rub on the towel and against the other hazelnuts in the towel. Undo the towel and pick out the skinned hazelnuts. Continue this process until all the hazelnuts are skinned. Some hazelnut skins are stubborn and wonโ€™t come off. Theyโ€™re ok to use.
  • Toasting the hazelnuts – To toast the hazelnuts, simply place them on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes on 160C / 325F or until golden in color. Keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. Alternatively, you can place them in a deep skillet and toast them on medium high heat until golden. Again, donโ€™t take your eyes off them or they will burn!
  • Eggs – Youโ€™ll be using the egg whites in this recipe to make the hazelnut dacquoise and the egg yolks to make the pastry cream.
  • Warm milk – You want the milk to be warmed to about 50C / 100F.
Slice of Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake with bite taken out

Other Recipes You Might Like!

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Esterhazy Torte - thumbnail 24

Hungarian Hazelnut And Chocolate Layer Cake (Esterhazy Torte)

This Hazelnut Chocolate Layer Cake features soft, airy hazelnut dacquoise, creamy chocolate pastry cream, and a crunchy praline coating for a perfect blend of textures.

Serves 8

4.5 from 39 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 40 minutes
Cool: 4 hours
Total: 8 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Hungary
Calories: 1088kcal

Ingredients

Chocolate Pastry Cream

  • 500 g whole milk, not skim
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 40 g corn starch, corn flour
  • 40 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
  • 10 g Dutch processed cocoa powder, see notes
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 80 g unsalted butter, cubed and cold
  • 180 g dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped (see notes)

Hazelnut Praline

  • 150 g toasted hazelnuts, see notes
  • 210 g granulated sugar
  • 125 g water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 55 g glucose syrup
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, bicarb soda

Hazelnut Dacquoise

  • 150 g toasted hazelnuts, for dacquoise
  • 100 g all-purpose flour, plain flour, divided
  • 9 egg whites, room temperature
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 7 g vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 150 g toasted hazelnuts for coating the cake

Vanilla Glaze

  • 75 g powdered sugar
  • 60 g unsalted butter melted and cooled.

Chocolate Glaze

  • 40 g powdered sugar
  • 25 g cocoa powder, Dutch processed or natural
  • 60 g unsalted butter melted and cooled

Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]


Instructions

How to prepare a vanilla bean (if using)

  • Use a sharp knife to cut the bean in half lengthwise. Then, use the sharp end of the knife to scrape out the vanilla pods from inside the bean. Add the milk, bean halves and scraped out seeds into a medium sized heavy bottomed stainless-steel pot. Heat on medium heat until warm, not hot. When youโ€™re ready to use it, run it through a sieve as you pour it into the rest of the ingredients. Discard the vanilla bean.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

  • Combine dry ingredients and eggs – To a medium sized heavy bottomed stainless-steel pot, add the corn starch, sugar, cocoa powder and salt and use a whisk to combine. Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the milk – Slowly add the warmed milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, and whisk each time until all of the milk has been added. Itโ€™s at this point you can add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if using.
  • Cook pastry cream โ€“ Cook in the pot on medium heat. Use a whisk to mix continuously. Do not stop mixing or the pastry cream will become grainy. After about 3-4 minutes the mixture will begin to thicken. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to bubble. When it bubbles, stir for 90 seconds, then take off the heat. Cook it for up to 2-3 minutes if you want it to set thick enough to be used in between cake layers.
  • Run through a sieve โ€“ Run the thickened pastry cream through a sieve into a medium sized mixing bowl to get rid of any lumps.
  • Add butter – Add 1/4 of the butter and whisk until itโ€™s melted and well combined. Repeat until all the butter has been added. You want to do this slowly, so the pastry cream doesnโ€™t split.
  • Add the chocolate – Add the cooking chocolate and whisk until well combined.
  • Chill to set – Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 5 hours. Overnight is best.
  • Adding the praline – once set, add to a food processor along with all of the cooled praline and blitz until well combined and completely smooth. Pop it back into the bowl and in the fridge until youโ€™re ready to use it.

Hazelnut Praline

  • Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160C / 325F (180C / 355F).
  • Toast all the hazelnuts – Youโ€™ll be using a lot of hazelnuts in this recipe. Itโ€™ll be 450g all up and theyโ€™ll be used to make the hazelnut praline, cake and to coat the cake. Iโ€™ll let you know how much you need for each step through the recipe. To toast them, place all (450g) of the hazelnuts on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. You may need to stir using a wooden spoon halfway through. Allow to cool.
  • Caramelize sugar – Place sugar, water, salt and 150g of the toasted hazelnuts in a large sized saucepan on medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
  • Add glucose syrup – Add glucose syrup and mix until well combined. Turn heat down to medium and allow to bubble away, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep golden colored syrup. It will reach 150 – 155C / 300 – 310F on a candy thermometer. Keep an eye on it as it can burn very quickly.
  • Add bicarb soda and set – Once it reaches that color turn off the heat and add the bicarb soda. Stir immediately until well combined. It will puff up quite a bit which is why you want to use a large saucepan. Pour onto a baking tray and allow to set for 20. Minutes until hard.
  • Process into paste – Break into smaller pieces and place in a food processor. Process on high speed until it turns into a paste. It may take a while and you will need to scrape the bowl down, but keep going on high until itโ€™s a smooth paste. Once finished, pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until ready to use.

Hazelnut Dacquoise

  • Preheat a fan-forced oven to 150C / 300F (170C / 340F for no fan). Spray the bottom (not the sides) of four 22cm / 8-inch cake tins and line the bottom with baking paper. If you donโ€™t have four cake tins, just use what you have and bake them one at a time. Set aside.
  • Process hazelnuts – Add the remaining toasted hazelnuts (300g) into a food processor and process until they reach a fine crumb texture. Take out 150g of hazelnuts and set aside to coat the cake when decorating.
  • Combine hazelnuts and flour – Add the flour into the food processor and process until well combined and the crushed hazelnuts are evenly coated in the flour. Set aside.
  • Whip meringue – Add the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 4 minutes or until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla extract and salt and whisk for another 30 seconds.
  • Add dry ingredients – Stop the mixer and add the hazelnut flour mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold through until well combined and no dry ingredients are visible taking care to pay attention to the bottom of the bowl as youโ€™re folding, as thatโ€™s where they like to hide when theyโ€™re added to the meringue! The mixture will be thick. Add the mixture to a piping bag.
  • Bake – Pipe the mixture into all 4 cake tins. Gently tap on your workbench 3 times to release air bubbles. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely. To take out of the tins, carefully run a knife around the edges and then turn over while the palm of your hand is flat against them to support them as they fall out of the tin. Stack them on top of each other with sheets of baking paper in between until ready to use.

Putting it together

  • Line the bottom of a 22cm / 8-inch springform pan with baking paper.
  • To layer the cake – Add one layer of cake into the springform pan. Cut out an 8cm / 3-inch high piece of food grade acetate measuring 65cm / 25.5-inches wide and place it in the cake tin wedging the bottom of the acetate in between the first cake layer and the cake tin to help keep it in place. Add 1/4 of the chocolate pastry cream and spread around evenly. You can do this using an offset spatula or a tablespoon that has been bent as shown in the video.
  • Continue layering – Add the next layer and repeat until all 4 layers have been used. Please note: you will have used 3/4 of the chocolate pastry cream and should have another 1/4 left which you will use to coat the cake.

Glaze

  • Vanilla glaze – To make the vanilla glaze add the powdered sugar to a small bowl along with the melted butter and mix using a whisk until well combined.
  • Chocolate glaze – To make the chocolate glaze repeat the same process as above using the addition cocoa powder.
  • How to add the glaze – Pour the vanilla glaze on top of the cake and spread around using a spoon or offset spatula. Add the chocolate glaze to a piping bag and snip the end off. Pipe lines on top of the glaze. Use a toothpick or skewer to drag across the chocolate glaze lines. Place back in the fridge for 4 hours to set, overnight is best.

Letโ€™s decorate!

  • Take the chilled and set cake out of the springform and transfer to a serving plate using the baking paper at the bottom to help you.
  • Coating the cake – Slowly unwrap the acetate. Cover the sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate pastry cream. Finish by covering in the remaining 150g of toasted and crumbed hazelnuts. Placing your cake on a turn table to decorate it makes this a much easier process.

Notes

Dutch processed cocoa powder – is an unsweetened cocoa powder which has been treated with alkaline and potassium carbonate to neutralize the acidity that is naturally found in cocoa powder. Itโ€™s darker in color and strong in chocolate flavor.
Dark cooking chocolate – I used dark cooking chocolate for this recipe. Specifically, the Nestle cooking buttons which are designed to be easily melted and used for baking and desserts, but any cooking chocolate that can be found in the baking isle of your supermarket will work. Just make sure itโ€™s good quality.
Storage – The assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Freezing Cake Layers – You can make the dacquoise cake layers ahead of time and freeze them. Once cooled, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. When youโ€™re ready to use them, thaw overnight in the fridge before assembling. This will help save time when preparing the cake!
Acetate – Acetate helps create smooth sides and can be found at baking supply stores. For this cake youโ€™ll need to use a piece of acetate measuring 8cm / 3-inches in height and 65cm / 25.5-inches wide. If you canโ€™t find a pre-cut acetate strip of this height, you can just do what I did and trim it to size.
How to skin hazelnuts – For this recipe youโ€™ll need skinless hazelnuts. If you cannot find store bought hazelnuts you can skin them by placing them on a baking tray and baking them on 160C / 325F for 20 minutes. Once baked, take out of the oven, and pour into a clean tea towel. Bunch up the towel, encasing the hazelnuts inside and rub the heel of your hand on top. This will help the already loose and oily hazelnut skin to rub on the towel and against the other hazelnuts in the towel. Undo the towel and pick out the skinned hazelnuts. Continue this process until all the hazelnuts are skinned. Some hazelnut skins are stubborn and wonโ€™t come off. Theyโ€™re ok to use.
Toasting the hazelnuts – To toast the hazelnuts, simply place them on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes on 160C / 325F or until golden in color. Keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. Alternatively, you can place them in a deep skillet and toast them on medium high heat until golden. Again, donโ€™t take your eyes off them or they will burn!
Eggs – Youโ€™ll be using the egg whites in this recipe to make the hazelnut dacquoise and the egg yolks to make the pastry cream.
Warm milk – You want the milk to be warmed to about 50C / 100F.
A note on measurements โ€“ this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply arenโ€™t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precise measurements and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales

Nutrition

Calories : 1088kcal
Carbonhydrates: 93g
Protein: 19g
Fat: 69g
Saturated Fat: 24g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g
Monounsaturated Fat : 36g
Trans Fat : 1g
Cholesterol: 158mg
Sodium: 462mg
Potassium : 674mg
Fiber: 10g
Sugar : 61g
Vitamin A: 867IU
Vitamin C: 4mg
Calcium: 173mg
Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!
Slice of Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake with bite taken out
Whole Chocolate And Hazelnut Layer Cake

46 comments

Aisha Ali January 23, 2022 - 1:29 am

OK so I made this today and everyone absolutely adored it. I highly recommend this recipe!
The only thing I would say is that the recipe makes a large amount of the chocolate cream. Next time I might make half the batch of the chocolate cream!
Other than that, great recipe x

Reply
Nick Makrides September 10, 2022 - 12:52 am

Hi Aisha! Thanks so much for the lovely comment! Glad you enjoyed the cake! N x

Reply
Bea May 13, 2022 - 8:08 am

4 stars
This looks really good, although the original Eszterhรกzy is made with walnuts. This is Eszterhรกzy with a twist

Reply
Nick Makrides May 28, 2022 - 7:22 am

Thanks so much Bea!

Reply
Marisa January 15, 2023 - 10:10 pm

Just wondering if anybody has used a gluten free flour for this recipe?

Reply
Nick Makrides January 21, 2023 - 5:57 am

Hi Marie! I’ve never used it for this recipe but if you do, please be sure to let me know how you went! N x

Reply
Raymond July 17, 2022 - 2:08 pm

The ingredient’s list show a total of 2 1/4 cups of hazelnuts to be used, but your directions state 4 1/4 cups. Could you please clarify?

Reply
Nick Makrides August 1, 2022 - 4:24 am

Hi Raymond, thanks for letting me know that! I’ve gone in and updated the recipe! N x

Reply
Reney September 21, 2022 - 3:12 pm

Hi,
Still not clear on how many cups of hazelnuts are needed. You list 2 1/4c and state to toast that many. However, you use 1c for the praline leaving 1 1/4c. Those go in the food processor and then you set 2c aside for outside? Putting them in food processor should make them more dense and you didn’t even have 2c left. How much should be in the dacquoise?

Reply
Nick Makrides September 22, 2022 - 3:44 am

Hi Reney! Sorry about that. Have gone in and made the recipe much clearer. It’s 3 1/4 cups of hazelnuts (whole) toasted. 1 cup for the praline, 1 1/4 cups for the cake and 1 cup to decorate ๐Ÿ™‚ N x

Reply
Patricia September 25, 2022 - 12:14 pm

I want very much to make this recipe but in a smaller size. Do you think it would work to halve this recipe and bake it in six-inch pans? Thank you.

Reply
Nick Makrides October 31, 2022 - 7:12 am

I havent tested it as a smaller cake, but I think that should be ok. If you give it a go, let me know how it goes! N x

Reply
Fatima November 15, 2022 - 1:20 pm

Hi, I want to attempt this for my husbands birthday, but there are alot of steps involved. Which portions can be made ahead and how can they be stored and for how long?
If there is alot of pastry cream leftover, can that be stored too?

Reply
Nick Makrides November 26, 2022 - 6:32 am

Hi Fatima! You can make the cake and pastry cream up to three days in advance ๐Ÿ™‚ Any left over pastry cream can be stored in the fridge for up to a week ๐Ÿ™‚ N x

Reply
Dilekimu November 29, 2022 - 1:52 pm

Thanks again for the great recipe!
As it is nearly impossible to buy corn or glucose syrup from an everyday supermarket in Turkey, can I make the hazelnut praline without the syrup?

Reply
Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:33 am

Hey Dilekimu! So glad youโ€™re enjoying the recipe! ๐Ÿ˜Š You can still make the hazelnut praline without the glucose syrup, but it might turn out a bit more brittle and less smooth. If you canโ€™t find glucose syrup, you can try substituting with honey or a simple sugar syrup (just boil equal parts water and sugar until it thickens). Hope that helps and happy baking! N x

Reply
Alle January 20, 2023 - 3:00 pm

Hi Nick! This cake looks delicious! Can you please clarify the metric measurements? You have written 40g for the 1/4 c powdered sugar but then 25g for the 1/4 c cocoa powder and 60g for 1/4 c unsalted butter. I donโ€™t want to add too much or too little of something, especially the ingredients. Do you spoon or pack the flour and cocoa powder in the dry measuring cups? I learned recently that not spooning flour into the measuring cup and instead directly scooping the flour from the container can add an additional 1/4 c of flour to the recipe so metric seems safer.

Thanks!

Reply
Nick Makrides January 21, 2023 - 5:55 am

Hi Alie! Thankjs for your message asking for clarification. Those measurements are correct. I measure everything from my own kitchen using my own measuring cups and utensils to make sure what I’m making is what others will be able to make. Especialy when measuring in weight measurements. And you’re correct! Spooning into a measuring cup is the right way to measure. I plan to add some more info about that on the site this year. Hope that helps! N x

Reply
Mich May 20, 2023 - 9:40 am

Hi Nick! The cake looks delicious! Planning to make it as a birthday cake for friends. Hazelnut is quite expensive here in Hong Kong – so Iโ€™m subbing the hazelnuts in the dacquoise with almond! Hopefully itโ€™ll work!

Reply
Nick Makrides June 24, 2023 - 3:10 am

How’d it go Mich? N x

Reply
Arzoo July 11, 2023 - 12:58 am

Hi Nick! I made your red velvet cake last year and my family absolutely loved it. And that is a really good compliment considering I’m absolutely bad with baking. I did make it eggless with egg replacer (allergen friendly). So, this year I’m planning to make another cake from ScranLine! My question: Is there any way I can make Hazelnut cake eggfree as well? I can see eggs being used for hazelnut dacquoise and cream, and trying to think how can I make this eggless. Really keen to make this.

Reply
Nick Makrides August 9, 2024 - 9:41 am

Hi Arzoo! That’s so sweet to say, I wish I could help with that. Unfortunately I don’t have much experience with egg free recipes and I’ve only ever tested it this way so I couldn’t say sorry!

Reply
Belinda Nicolaou July 29, 2023 - 11:19 am

Hi nick.
Are you able to make this without using the acetate?

Reply
Nick Makrides August 6, 2023 - 2:51 am

Hi Belinda! Hmm, the reason the acetate is used is so that the mousse doesnt stick to the sides and comes out neat looking. I don’t think it would work without acetate I’m afraid. Sorry! N x

Reply
Belinda August 5, 2023 - 4:09 am

Is this recipe ok to use with two pans instead of 4? So I made two thicker layers?

Reply
Nick Makrides August 5, 2023 - 5:06 am

Hi belinda! For this cake, I would reccomend baking in four pans or if you don’t have 4 pans, bake 2 at a time. The reason being is, I haven’t tested it with thicker layers. So I wouldn’t be able to say if it works or how long to bake. Even if it did work with a longer time, the outside would dry out quite a bit before the middle is fully baked. Hope that helps! N x

Reply
Alicia August 13, 2023 - 12:24 pm

Hello Nick!
Amazing cake!
Just a question: the recipe says โ€œPreheat and oven to 150C / 300C.โ€ I donโ€™t understand. What temperature exactly do we have to heat the oven to?
Thanks in advance.
Regards from the Canaries, Spain,

Reply
Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:23 am

Hey Alicia!

Thanks so much! ๐Ÿ˜Š Iโ€™ve actually updated the recipe since thenโ€”great catch! Youโ€™ll want to preheat the oven to 150ยฐC / 300ยฐF (or 170ยฐC / 340ยฐF for no fan). I hope you enjoy making the cake, and feel free to share how it turns out!

Sending sweet vibes from Australia!
N x

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Alicia August 13, 2023 - 12:56 pm

5 stars
Hello again!
Now I see: 150C / 300F. ๐Ÿ˜„
Canโ€™t wait to give it a try!

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Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:25 am

Hey Alicia! Haha, glad itโ€™s all clear now! ๐Ÿ˜„ So excited for you to try itโ€”hope you have a blast making it! Donโ€™t forget to share how it goes, Iโ€™d love to hear about it. N x

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Eman August 29, 2023 - 6:00 pm

5 stars
Hello from Egypt,
I want to make this cake but need it to be bigger in a 23-24 cm pan. Do I have to double the receipe or just increase it by half?
And if I don’t have four baking pans, can I bake the daquoise in only two bakkng pans and divide them with a knife later to obtain four layers? I am afraid the daquoise may deflate if I bake them in two batches. What do you think?
Thanks in advance ๐Ÿ™‚
Eman

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Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:19 am

Hey Eman!

Hello from Australia! ๐Ÿ˜Š If you’re using a 23-24 cm pan, I’d recommend increasing the recipe by half to get a nice height and even layers. As for baking the dacquoise in two pans, I totally get your concern! You can absolutely do that, just be sure not to overfill the pans. After baking, use a sharp knife to carefully slice each layer in half. The dacquoise shouldn’t deflate, but to keep it extra airy, make sure your meringue is thick and glossy before baking.

Good luck, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
N x

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Lugeen September 8, 2023 - 9:46 am

3 stars
I liked the pastru cream but overall I thought the cake tasted like a crunchy Nutella sandwich. I guess itโ€™s not really cake. I made it for my family, they loved it but me not so much. It looked really good but I wouldnโ€™t make it again. Iโ€™m using the remaining pastry cream on banana bread.

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Nick Makrides September 9, 2023 - 6:01 am

Ok, but just so we’re clear, Nutella is made of hazelnuts and is chocolate flavored. So is this cake. So I’m not sure how that was a disappointment. Enough for 3 stars lol. It literally says chocolate hazelnut cake.

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Lauren September 12, 2023 - 4:35 pm

The hazelnut praline is not hardening for me – I’m not sure what I am doing incorrectly, but it ends up a thick gooey mess rather than hardening into candy that you can break up like in the video. I’m hesitant to put the gooey mixture into a food processor, any idea what could be going wrong? It does seem like the liquid portion of the mixture is a lot more than what is shown in the video, although I followed the amounts listed in the recipe.

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Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:33 am

Hey Lauren! It sounds like the sugar might not have reached the right temperature for the praline to harden properly. Make sure the syrup reaches 150-155ยฐC (300-310ยฐF), which is the hard crack stage, before taking it off the heat. This ensures it will harden once it cools. If itโ€™s still gooey, try cooking it a little longer to reach that temp. I totally get being hesitant to put it in the food processor if itโ€™s not firmโ€”just give it a bit more time on the heat next time. Hope that helps! N x

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Hanna October 23, 2023 - 7:46 pm

Hi Nick
Can the cake layers be made ahead and frozen, then thawed night before assembling it? Going to make for my daughters 13th but thereโ€™s a few steps here and thinking if it can be made ahead and frozen would save me some time. Thanks!

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Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:29 am

Hey Hanna! Yes, you can absolutely make the cake layers ahead and freeze them. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and pop them in an airtight container. Thaw them in the fridge the night before assembling, and theyโ€™ll be good to go! Perfect for saving time with a recipe like this. Wishing your daughter a happy 13th! N x

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Eleni March 11, 2024 - 8:04 am

Hi Nick can glucose be substituted with something else?

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Nick Makrides August 16, 2024 - 9:40 am

Hi Eleni, you can use corn syrup if that works for you!

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Mary Garner June 14, 2024 - 1:25 am

Hi Nick, love the look of this recipe but don’t have a large food processer. I do have a small one so that I could make the hazelnut paste…..as tedious as it would be in very small batches!๐Ÿ˜€ Do you think I’d still get the pastry cream smooth enough by beating with a paddle beater? Am really keen to try this but not if you think it won’t work with the equipment in my kitchen.
Cheers, Mary

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Nick Makrides July 23, 2024 - 9:57 am

Hi Mary! Hmmm. unfortunately it wont get as smooth using a stand mixer with a paddle sorry!

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Tammy August 19, 2024 - 12:16 am

Iโ€™m always interested in different recipes and will definitely try this.
I grew up in a small town in Canada called Esterhazy and it was a Hungarian community. My dadโ€™s side is Hungarian and I grew up with having a Hungarian Dobas Torta cake at my grandparents at Christmas time. It was the most delicious cake with several layers 6-8 with a chocolate fillingโ€ฆ.no hazelnuts. I still carry on this Christmas tradition ๐Ÿ˜€

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Nick Makrides August 20, 2024 - 7:23 am

Hi Tammy, I had to google that cake because I’ve never heard of it and it sounds absolutely amazing! I’ve already got a long list of recipes to create, but I’m adding this one to my list. It looks amazing and definitely worth perfecting! N x

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Thanusha Kodikara September 3, 2024 - 9:44 pm

Hi
Can I use store bought hazelnut meal in the Dacquoise will that be ok?
Planning try this out
Thanks so much
Thanusha

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Nick Makrides September 30, 2024 - 4:25 am

Hey Thanusha! Yes, you can definitely use store-bought hazelnut meal for the dacquoiseโ€”itโ€™ll work just fine! Just make sure itโ€™s fresh and finely ground for the best texture. Canโ€™t wait for you to try it out! N x

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4.47 from 39 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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