Chef Chocolatier Maura Metheny’s Hazelnut and Lemon Cake Recipe

Meet Blonde. Exquisite. Delectable. Savory.

Chef Chocolatier Maura Metheny created her hazelnut and lemon cake masterpiece called “Blonde” at the 24th annual U.S. Pastry Competition for Pastry Chef of the Year in New York City in March 2013 and earned a bronze medal! Congrats Chef Metheny!

For all of our adventurous chocolatiers in the making, check out Chef Metheny’s recipe below to recreate this delectable dessert.

If you want to take it to the next level and learn from professional artisan chocolatiers and pastry chefs in Southwest Florida, Norman Love Confections has summer classes and you can check out their class schedule here. The new schedule will be published after Valentine’s Day 2016.

Enjoy!

Hazelnut and Lemon Cake Recipe

Hazelnut and Lemon Biscuit:

75g Hazelnut Flour

75g Confectionary Sugar

62g Eggs

60g Yolks

1g Lemon Zest

137g Egg Whites

50g Sugar

60g Cake Flour

Method:

1. Whip toasted and cooled hazelnut flour, confectionary sugar, eggs, yolks and lemon zest to a light ribbon.

2. Whip Egg whites and sugar to soft peak.

3. Fold 1/3 of meringue into egg mixture.

4. Fold in sifter cake flour into egg/meringue mixture.

5. Fold in remaining 2/3 meringue and pour into desired cake pan to bake at 155 degrees celsius for 25-30 minutes until center is dry when tested.

Praline Glaze:

160g 99% Noel Liquor Chocolate

90g Heavy Cream

120g Cold Water

10g Gelatin

460g Mirror Glaze

230g Hazelnut Paste

Method:

1. Microwave Mirror glaze to 50 degrees celsius.

2. Bloom gelatin with cold water.

3. Boil cream and pour over chocolate to create a ganache.

4. Emulsify hot ganache into hot mirror glaze.

5. Add hazelnut paste and melted bloomed gelatin mixture while continuing to blend.

6. Store in refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating to use.

Milk and Dark Chocolate Mousse:

136g Yolks

69g Sugar

50g Heavy Cream

30g Whole Milk

100g 33% Noel Lactee Chocolate

145g 64% Noel Royale Chocolate

430g Heavy Cream

Method:

1. Cook Yolks, sugar, heavy cream and milk all together in a pot to 85 degrees celsius.

2. Strain into mixing bowl and whip cool.

3. Melt chocolates together.

4. Whip heavy cream to medium consistency.

5. Fold chocolates into whipped Anglaise.

6. Fold 1/3 whipped cream into chocolate mixture.

7. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream.

Praline Cream:

42g Cold Water

6g Gelatin

250g Hazelnut Praline

275g Piedmont Hazelnuts

255g Heavy Cream

Method:

1. Bloom gelatin in cold water.

2. Roast Hazelnuts and puree into paste.

3. Boil Heavy cream and pour over praline and hazelnut paste, stir to create an emulsion.

4. Add bloomed melted gelatin and blend with emulsion blender.

Hazelnut Creameux:

450g Heavy Cream

90g Sugar

107g Yolks

75g Hazelnuts

4.5g Gelatin

27g Cold Water

Method:

1. Toast and grind hazelnuts to paste.

2. Cook, cream, sugar, and yolks to 85 degrees celsius.

3. Pour Anglaise over hazelnut paste and mix until emulsified.

4. Bloom gelatin and cold water for 5 minutes and add to ganache.

5. Stir until fully incorporated.

Lemon Cream:

100g Ravifruit Lemon Puree

45g Sugar

56g Butter

10g Potato Starch

45g Sugar

75g Eggs

30g Yolks

2g Gelatin

12g Cold Water

Method:

1. Boil Puree, 1st sugar and butter.

2. Whisk starch with 2nd sugar and whip with eggs and yolks until smooth.

3. Temper egg mixture into hot liquid cook to 85 degrees celsius.

4. Bloom gelatin with cold water for 5 minutes.

5. Add bloomed gelatin mixture to hot lemon cream and stir until smooth and fully incorporated.

Hazelnut Crunch:

75g Toasted Blanched Hazelnuts

45g Hazelnut Praline

135g 35% Cocoa Noel Lactee Chocolate

50g Feuilletine

Method:

1. Roast, cool, and coarsely chop hazelnuts.

2. Melt chocolate and cool to 35 degrees celsius.

3. Mix all ingredients and roll to desired thickness.