Hazelnut Cake Roll
It was a lovely Seder, but the one memory my brother and I still talk about, more than half a century later, is the flourless hazelnut torte layered with a buttercream filling. Looking back, that light, flavorful cake made an impression on me that went far beyond its taste.
Margaret, even after the horrors she had endured, felt comfortable including a classic Austrian-style torte as part of the Seder meal. In retrospect, I realize that this gave me an early reassurance that the pastries and cakes of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire could comfortably find a place in my own work.
I have included two possible fillings for the cake roll, one a simple whipped cream and the other a white chocolate mousse. The white chocolate mousse, used in my Ivoire et Chocolat elevates this Seder dessert to another level.
For finishing touches, you can lightly dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar just before serving or spread a bit of whipped cream or white chocolate mousse on the outside and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts for added texture and flavor.
Hazelnut Cake Roll
| Yield: 1 9″ cake roll | # of Servings: 8 | Method: Separated Egg Sponge |
Ingredients
Cake:
6 large egg yolks
4 ½ tsp (.7 oz / 20 g) sugar
½ cup + 4 tsp (2.3 oz / 65 g) hazelnut flour
6 large egg whites
¼ tsp salt
3 tbl (1.5 oz / 43 g) sugar
Whipped Cream Filling:
1 ¼ cups (10 fl oz) heavy cream, well-chilled
3 tbl confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
White Chocolate Mousse Base:
1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy cream
5.6 oz (159 g) Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate
White Chocolate Mousse:
1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy cream
1 ½ cup (12.65 oz / 359 g) white chocolate mousse base
Finishing:
Confectioners’ sugar, as needed, or
⅓ cup (1.25 oz / 36 g) hazelnuts, finely chopped
Special tools and equipment:
- 10 ¼” by 15 ¼” jelly roll pan
- Hand held or counter-top mixer with whisk attachment
- Parchment paper, cut to fit jelly roll pan
Pre-recipe preparations:
- If filling with White Chocolate Mousse, make the base the day before.
- Cut a sheet of parchment paper 9 ¼” by 14 ¼”
- Preheat oven to 375 °F
- Lightly butter the jelly roll pan, including the edges. Line bottom of pan with parchment, and butter it as well.
Directions:
Baking the cake:
- Place egg yolks and sugar in machine bowl and using wire whip beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow.
- Remove bowl from machine and fold in hazelnut flour.
- In separate bowl with clean wire whip beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add salt.
- Continue beating whites until soft peaks form then slowly add the sugar.
- Beat just until medium stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.
- Stir ¼ of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites just until blended and no white streaks remain.
- Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan, and spread the batter evenly using an offset spatula.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and place pan on cooling rack to cool completely.
Finishing with whipped Cream:
- In a chilled bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until firm. Set aside. Do not overbeat or the whipped cream will become grainy when it is spread on the cake.
- Place a 12″ by 16″ parchment sheet or 14 ½” by 9 ½” Silpat on a clean counter with long side facing you and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen any spots where it may be adhered to the pan.
- Place the pan upside down directly over the sugar-dusted sheet and lightly knock the back, if necessary, to have the cake release from the pan.
- Pull the parchment paper off the cake.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the whipped cream evenly over the cake roll.
- Turn the cake so the short side is facing you and, using the paper or silpat as a guide, gently begin rolling into a tight cake roll. Place a spatula underneath and remove to an oval platter or cutting board. Refrigerate.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving. Cut slices with a serrated knife.
- Serve with assorted berries.
Finishing with white chocolate mousse:
- In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until it just starts to thicken.
- With machine on low speed, pour in the mousse base. Stop machine and scrape sides and bottom of bowl with plastic spatula.
- Whip the mousse on medium speed just until it thickens and holds its shape, about 50 seconds.
- Place a 12″ by 16″ parchment sheet or 14 ½” by 9 ½” Silpat on a clean counter with long side facing you and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen any spots where it may be adhered to the pan.
- Place the pan upside down directly over the sugar-dusted sheet and lightly knock the back, if necessary, to have the cake release from the pan.
- Pull the parchment paper off the cake.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the mousse evenly over the cake roll.
- Turn the cake so the short side is facing you and, using the paper or silpat as a guide, gently begin rolling into a tight cake roll.
- Place a spatula underneath and remove to an oval platter or cutting board. Refrigerate.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving. Cut slices with a serrated knife
- Serve with assorted berries.
Notes:
1 Parve Whip It, sold as a liquid in a pint container may be substituted. In an experiment it did whip firm, but has more of a marshmallow than cream taste.
2 Kosher for Passover confectioners’ sugar, which uses tapioca starch instead of corn starch as an anti-caking agent is available
Sources:
High quality hazelnut flour is available online through Nuts.com. In store, it is available at Trader Joe’s and stores carrying Rob’s Red Mill brand.
