Chocolate, Meringue and Hazelnut Pastries

When a moist and chocolaty cake marries with crunchy meringue and hazelnuts, that is a match that was just meant to be. I absolutely love hazelnuts and always have a stash in my freezer, so it's a flavor that I like to use in many of my other sweet treats. Fan club members of Nutella know something about that creamy, chocolaty hazelnut spread - it's absolutely divine. I'm not alone with my love for chocolate and hazelnuts. Caramel, or dulce de leche is another flavor that is just perfect with this whole combination. 

The great thing about this dessert is that you can either serve is as a cake or make it into pastries, like I did. As with most desserts, it can be made in advance. 

Ingredients:

Meringue:

4 egg whites, room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

Chocolate Cake: Recipe from My Baking Addiction 

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

¾ cups unsweetened regular cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup strong coffee, cooled

½ cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting:

1 (8 0z) package cream cheese, softened

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter, softened

1 (14 oz) can dulce de leche (cooked condensed milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Garnishes:

1 ½ cups toasted chopped hazelnuts

1 - 1 ½ cups Nutella

melted chocolate, to drizzle on top of the pastries, optional

Instructions:

Meringue:

I usually start with the meringue, since it takes the longest to bake. You can make it a day or two in advance.

Line a half sheet (18 x 13 inches) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk the egg whites in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, starting on medium speed and gradually increasing to medium high, until frothy. Gradually add the sugar. Whisk the egg whites for 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.
Spread out evenly in the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.

When the meringue is completely cool, carefully peel off the parchment paper or aluminum foil and cut the meringue in half.
You can make the meringue a day or two ahead of time. Store the completely cool meringue at room temperature, in an air tight container or tightly sealed.

Chocolate Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a half sheet rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Grease the parchment or aluminum foil with oil.
Start by brewing a nice, strong cup of coffee and set it aside to cool.
Combine all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl and mix to combine. I like to sift in the cocoa powder, since it tends to be very lumpy. Mix them all together.
Mix all the liquid ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla) in a large measuring cup.
Pour in the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. The batter will be quite thin.
Spread the cake batter evenly in the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Cool. When the cake layer is cool, cut it in half.

Frosting:

Mix the softened cream cheese and softened butter in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer until smooth. Add the dulce de leche(cooked condensed milk), vanilla and salt and mix again until smooth.

Assembling the Pastries:

Place the first half of the chocolate cake layer on a large tray or serving platter. Since I was going to be serving this dessert as pastries, I assembled it on top of a large cutting board.

Spread half of the frosting over the cake layer and sprinkle with some of the hazelnuts, as much or as little as you like. Spread ¼-1/3 cup Nutella on the bottom of one of the meringue layers and place it Nutella side down on top of the nuts. I don't like desserts to be too sweet, so I used only ¼ cup, but you can use more, ⅓ or even ½ cup. Spread more Nutella on top of the meringue, ⅓ - ½ cup, depending on how sweet you like it. This layer should have a bit more Nutella. Sprinkle with more nuts. Top with another meringue layer, spread ¼-1/3 cup Nutella, sprinkle with more nuts, top with other chocolate layer. Spread remaining frosting on top, sprinkle with more nuts and drizzle with melted chocolate. Cut into pastries or cover the sides with more frosting and serve as a cake.

Chocolate, Meringue and Hazelnut Pastries

Olga Klyuchits

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cups unsweetened regular cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong coffee cooled
• ½ cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting:

• 1 8 0z package cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick 8 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 14 oz can dulce de leche (cooked condensed milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Garnishes:

• 1 ½ cups toasted chopped hazelnuts
• 1 - 1 ½ cups Nutella
• melted chocolate to drizzle on top of the pastries, optional

Instructions

 

Meringue: I usually start with the meringue, since it takes the longest to bake. You can make it a day or two in advance.

• Line a half sheet (18 x 13 inches) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Whisk the egg whites in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, starting on medium speed and gradually increasing to medium high, until frothy. Gradually add the sugar. Whisk the egg whites for 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.
• Spread out evenly in the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.
• When the meringue is completely cool, carefully peel off the parchment paper or aluminum foil and cut the meringue in half.
• You can make the meringue a day or two ahead of time. Store the completely cool meringue at room temperature, in an air tight container or tightly sealed.

Chocolate Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a half sheet rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Grease the parchment or aluminum foil with oil.
• Start by brewing a nice, strong cup of coffee and set it aside to cool.
• Combine all the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl and mix to combine. I like to sift in the cocoa powder, since it tends to be very lumpy. Mix them all together.
• Mix all the liquid ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla) in a large measuring cup.
• Pour in the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
• Spread the cake batter evenly in the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Cool. When the cake layer is cool, cut it in half.

Frosting:

• Mix the softened cream cheese and softened butter in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer until smooth.
• Add the dulce de leche(cooked condensed milk), vanilla and salt and mix again until smooth.

Assembling the Pastries:

• Place the first half of the chocolate cake layer on a large tray or serving platter. Spread half of the frosting over the cake layer and sprinkle with some of the hazelnuts, as much or as little as you like.
• Spread ¼-1/3 cup Nutella on the bottom of one of the meringue layers and place it Nutella side down on top of the nuts. I don't like desserts to be too sweet, so I used only ¼ cup, but you can use more, ⅓ or even ½ cup.
• Spread more Nutella on top of the meringue, ⅓ - ½ cup, depending on how sweet you like it. This layer should have a bit more Nutella. Sprinkle with more nuts.
• Top with another meringue layer, spread ¼-1/3 cup Nutella, sprinkle with more nuts, top with other chocolate layer.
• Spread remaining frosting on top, sprinkle with more nuts and drizzle with melted chocolate.
• Cut into pastries or cover the sides with more frosting and serve as a cake.