CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLE CAKE

By ctozzi

"Torta di Choux con Cioccolato"
pg 26 - THE MAGAZINE OF LA CUCINA ITALIANA February 2005
*** did not like the cake, too dense, will try normal chocolate hazelnut cake next time ***

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 2 whole eggs, plus 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• salt
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• butter for greasing
• For the profiteroles:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• salt
• 1 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• For the filling and garnish:
• 5 ounces baking chocolate, chopped
• 8 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• toasted hazelnuts for garnish
• cocoa powder for dusting

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Prepare the cake: In a bowl. combine the whole eggs, yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt, and beat with a hand mixer. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and I tablespoon of cocoa powder, and transfer to a pastry bag. Line a large buttered baking sheet with parchment paper, and pipe the batter on it, starting from the center and moving outward to make two 9-inch spirals. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Prepare the profiteroles: Bring I cup of water to a boil with the butter and a pinch of salt. Add the flour, and stir until a homogeneous batter forms. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Mix the eggs into the batter, and transfer to a pastry bag. Pipe about 40 walnut-sized dol­lops of the batter onto rubber mats or baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden.

Prepare the filling: In a double boiler combine the baking chocolate and the chocolate-hazelnut spread with I cup of the heavy cream. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Refrigerate to chill, and then beat until a mousse-like consistency.

Assemble the cake: Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter. Pipe half of chocolate mousse in spirals on the sur­face. Place the other cake layer on top, an pipe the remaining half of the chocolate mousse on top.

In a chilled bowl, whip the remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form. PIace in a pastry bag with a thin tip, and pipe into the profiteroles. Set aside.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, c the sugar until caramelized. Arrange the profiteroles around the cake, and drizzle the caramel around. Garnish with the hazelnuts, and dust with cocoa powder.