Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake w/ Mocha Ganache

So much love and flavor packed into this cake.  Friends will say "Oh My!"
Complexity Level:  Intermediate

Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake w/ Mocha Ganache
What You Need:
Cake
1 cup Hazelnuts
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter + 1 Tbsp melted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla or 1/2 Vanilla Bean
1 1/3 cups Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup AP Flour (Or Gluten Free AP Flour)
6 Large Egg Whites
3 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Mocha Ganache
4 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 tsp Instant Coffee

Hardware
Parchment Paper
10 inch Cake Pan


To start, place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes ar 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove and let cool.  Rub the Hazelnuts between your hands to remove the skins.

Place the nut into a food processor and let grind for 1-2 minutes, then add in and processor with the 1 1/3 cups of powdered sugar, or until the hazelnuts are evenly chopped.  Add this to a bowl, mixing in the 1/3 cup flour.

Next, melt the 1 tbsp of butter and brush the cake pan.  Place a round of parchment paper into the bottom of your pan.  This cake is so fluffy and light this will help prevent a catastrophe when removing the cake from the pan later in the baking process.

Add the 2 ticks of Unsalted butter and vanilla into a medium sauce pan, and place the vanilla bean seeds an pod, or the Vanilla flavoring, to the butter and cook 6-8 minutes until the butter has a nutty aroma.  This will be the "Brown Butter" for the cake.  While the butter is cooking, scrap the solids off the bottom to assure the butter is evenly cooking.  Remove the Vanilla pod when done browning the butter if you used a vanilla bean.  Let this cool 4-5 minutes before mixing into the egg whites.

See the brown bits?

Add the egg whites to a bowl with the granulated sugar.  If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.  If using a hand mixer, beat until you form very stiff peaks.  A stiff peak for egg whites means when you turn the whisk or beaters upside down, the peak doesn't move and holds form:

Slowly fold in the dry ingredients and brown butter to the egg whites.  I alternated some dry, fold, some butter, fold, some dry, fold, etc...  Do not forget about the bottom of the butter pan.  The little brown bits are amazing in flavor!  Pour the batter into your greased cake pan.

Bake for 40-55 minutes.  Every oven is different, so I gave a range of time to assure by minute 40 you are watching the cake.  Remove and let cool for 30 minutes before trying to remove from pan, otherwise you will have a hazelnut brown butter puzzle cake.

Time for some Mocha Ganache!
To start, melt the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler.  I like to bring the bottom water to a boil, then set the double boiler on top, and lower the water to a simmer underneath.

Stir often, and continue to melt until smooth and warm consistency.  Drizzle this over your now cake pan less cake.

Enjoy!  This is so elegant, soft, fluffy... it's like a wedding cake at home.  I am obsessed.  I know the recipe may seem a bit daunting, but I assure you, it is wonderful!

Happy Baking!
This does not need Refrigerated!

Aimee Gonzalez