Mocha Dacquoise Cake

By kathryns

Sandwich chocolate meringue discs between milk chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream and cover with crushed hazelnuts. Dacquoise can be made and dried at least 4 hours or overnight; buttercream and ganache day of.

Ingredients

• recipes Chocolate Dacquoise for Mocha Dacquoise Cake:
• 5 ounces hazelnuts
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 6 large egg whites
• Milk Chocolate Ganache (see below)
• Coffee Buttercream (see below)
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• Milk Chocolate Ganache:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Coffee Buttercream:
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 10 large egg whites
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 pounds (8 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

Details

Preparation time 90mins
Cooking time 640mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet; toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a kitchen towel; rub off loosened papery skins. Let stand until cool. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse nuts until they are the texture of coarse cornmeal; set aside.

2. Chocolate Dacquoise:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a marker, trace 10-inch circles on each sheet of parchment; turn paper marked-side down. In a large bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. With mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar, whisking until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Sift in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture in three additions, folding after each addition, until mostly incorporated.

Transfer meringue to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Starting just within the marked circles, pipe meringue, working inward in a spiral pattern. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off oven, allowing meringues to dry out until oven is completely cool, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

3. Coffee Buttercream:

In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in hot water; set aside. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes.

With machine running on low speed, add butter to the egg whites, beating until smooth. Add the espresso mixture and continue beating until incorporated.


2.Place a layer of chocolate dacquoise on a 10-inch cardboard cake round, and coat with a 1/2-inch-thick layer (1 cup) ganache. Top with second layer and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream in an even layer over dacquoise. Top with third layer and coat with the remaining cup of ganache. Top with final layer, placing it upside-down so the flat side is on top, and coat with about 2 cups buttercream. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Coat the top and sides of cake with about 3 cups buttercream in an even layer. Cover top and sides of cake with hazelnuts. Use remaining buttercream to decorate, as desired. Reserve any remaining buttercream for another use.