Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Author:
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix and any additional 1
- ingredients needed to make the cake
-
1 cup about 4 1/2 ounces hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (see Cook's Note)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 1
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
For the Cake:
For the Crunch:
For the Filling:
For the Topping:
Instructions
- This recipe originally appeared in Giada's Kitchen by Giada De Laurentiis. Clarkson Potter, 2008.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the
- batter between the cake pans and bake as directed. Remove from the
- oven and cool on a wire rack.
- To make the crunch, place the toasted nuts close together in a single
- layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the granulated
- sugar and 1/3 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over
- medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to
- boil the mixture until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let the bubbles subside, then pour the
- caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the
- refrigerator and let the nut crunch cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the nut crunch is hardened and cool, place it on a cutting board
- and cut into small pieces, saving a few larger ones for decoration. Set
- aside.
- To make the filling, put the mascarpone, cream, confectioners' sugar,
- and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the
- cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the chopped nut crunch into the
- whipped cream.
- To make the topping, place the chocolate chips, granulated sugar,
- and zest in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate
- is finely ground.
- To assemble the cake, put 1 cake layer on a serving plate or cake
- stand. Top with a 1-inch layer of the whipped cream‚ hazelnut crunch
- filling. Place the second layer of cake on top of the first and frost the
- entire cake with the remaining filling. Sprinkle the top and sides of the
- cake with the ground chocolate topping and add some shards of nut
- crunch as decoration. Serve.
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