Oh-my-goodness. This cake was absolutely divine. I adapted it quite significantly from a hazelnut praline cake recipe in one of my cookbooks -- "Crave: A passion for chocolate" -- to be semi-Christmas themed for our Christmas in July at work.
Green is Christmassy, right?
Ingredients
Cake
6 large eggs, separated
115 gr caster sugar plus 1 tbsp extra
185 gr chopped dark chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid
90 gr almond meal
95 gr pistachio meal (blitz 90 gr of pistachio kernels in a food processor)
Pistachio praline
125 gr pistachio kernels
250 gr caster sugar
55 ml water
Chocolate ganache
80 ml cream
100 gr dark chocolate
Pistachio white chocolate cream
235 ml cream
150 gr white chocolate
30 gr butter
1/2 quantity pistachio praline
4 drops of green food colouring
Milk chocolate cream
235 ml cream
150 gr milk chocolate
30 gr butter
Step 1: Make the cake
Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan forced). Butter two 23 cm round spring form tins and line with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the 115 gr of caster sugar on medium-high until pale and thickened.
Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the 1 tbsp of caster sugar and beat until the mixture is glossy.
Mix the tepid chocolate with 3 tbsp of hot water and stir to incorporate. Add to the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the pistachio and almond meal. Gently fold in the meringue in two batches, until combine.
Pour 2/3 of the mixture into one tin and 1/3 into the other. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top is firm. Allow to cool completely in the tins before removing the cakes.
Step 2: Make the chocolate creams
Bring the cream to boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat. Add the milk chocolate, allow to stand for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly then stir in the butter. Cover and chill for at least one hours (you can speed this process up by putting the mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes).
Repeat the same process for the white chocolate cream.
Step 3: Make the pistachio praline
Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C if you are using a fan forced oven). Spread pistachios on a baking tray and roast for 5 – 10 minutes.
To skin the pralines, place half of the roasted nuts in a clean tea towel and rub the nuts between the tea towel until the skins come away. Repeat this with the remaining nuts. Put all the nuts on a sheet of non-stick baking paper on a tray.
Place sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, swirling or brushing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, for 8 minutes or until golden. Set aside until the bubbles subside.
Pour the caramel mixture over the nuts and leave to set.
When the praline is set, put it in a food processor or crush it until finely ground. Set aside.
Step 4: Make the chocolate ganache
Combine cream and milk in a small saucepan scald over a medium heat (do not let it boil). Add the dark chocolate, remove from heat, and stir until smooth. Let the mixture cool for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it does not set.
Step 5: Prepare the creams
Remove the creams from the fridge and, using electric beaters beat the milk chocolate cream until firm peaks form.
Repeat the for the white chocolate cream and add half of the praline mixture and green food colouring, stirring to combine.
Step 6: Assemble the cake
Remove the cakes from their tins. Slice the larger of the two cakes in half, horizontally.
Place one of the cake layers on plate, flat-side down. Spread it with half of the white chocolate praline mixture.
Using a pastry brush, spread half of the ganache over one side of each of the remaining two cake layers. Place one of the cake layers on top of the layer covered with the white chocolate pistachio cream, ganache side down. Spread the remaining white chocolate pistachio cream over this second layer and place the last cake layer, ganache side down on top of the pistachio cream.
Cover the top and sides of the cake with the milk chocolate cream and press the remaining pistachio praline onto the sides of the cake.
Milk chocolate cream
235 ml cream
150 gr milk chocolate
30 gr butter
Step 1: Make the cake
Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan forced). Butter two 23 cm round spring form tins and line with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the 115 gr of caster sugar on medium-high until pale and thickened.
Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the 1 tbsp of caster sugar and beat until the mixture is glossy.
Mix the tepid chocolate with 3 tbsp of hot water and stir to incorporate. Add to the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the pistachio and almond meal. Gently fold in the meringue in two batches, until combine.
Pour 2/3 of the mixture into one tin and 1/3 into the other. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top is firm. Allow to cool completely in the tins before removing the cakes.
Step 2: Make the chocolate creams
Bring the cream to boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat. Add the milk chocolate, allow to stand for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly then stir in the butter. Cover and chill for at least one hours (you can speed this process up by putting the mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes).
Repeat the same process for the white chocolate cream.
Step 3: Make the pistachio praline
Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C if you are using a fan forced oven). Spread pistachios on a baking tray and roast for 5 – 10 minutes.
To skin the pralines, place half of the roasted nuts in a clean tea towel and rub the nuts between the tea towel until the skins come away. Repeat this with the remaining nuts. Put all the nuts on a sheet of non-stick baking paper on a tray.
Place sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, swirling or brushing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, for 8 minutes or until golden. Set aside until the bubbles subside.
Pour the caramel mixture over the nuts and leave to set.
When the praline is set, put it in a food processor or crush it until finely ground. Set aside.
Step 4: Make the chocolate ganache
Combine cream and milk in a small saucepan scald over a medium heat (do not let it boil). Add the dark chocolate, remove from heat, and stir until smooth. Let the mixture cool for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it does not set.
Step 5: Prepare the creams
Remove the creams from the fridge and, using electric beaters beat the milk chocolate cream until firm peaks form.
Repeat the for the white chocolate cream and add half of the praline mixture and green food colouring, stirring to combine.
Step 6: Assemble the cake
Remove the cakes from their tins. Slice the larger of the two cakes in half, horizontally.
Place one of the cake layers on plate, flat-side down. Spread it with half of the white chocolate praline mixture.
Using a pastry brush, spread half of the ganache over one side of each of the remaining two cake layers. Place one of the cake layers on top of the layer covered with the white chocolate pistachio cream, ganache side down. Spread the remaining white chocolate pistachio cream over this second layer and place the last cake layer, ganache side down on top of the pistachio cream.
Cover the top and sides of the cake with the milk chocolate cream and press the remaining pistachio praline onto the sides of the cake.
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