Click to zoom

Hazelnut Meringue Layers:
3 cups chopped hazelnuts, toasted*
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
6 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoons
1 tablespoon Italian hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico
12 whole hazelnuts

Hazelnut Buttercream:
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons Italian hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico

*To toast hazelnuts, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan two or three times, until the nuts are golden.

Make the hazelnut meringue layers:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Generously butter 17 x 12 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Lightly butter parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap off excess.
   
   
2. Place 2 cups toasted hazelnuts in a food processor. Cover and process until very fine, but not oily. Combine ground hazelnuts and flour in a medium bowl. Cover and process remaining toasted hazelnuts. Reserve for garnishing cake.
   
   
3. Beat egg whites in large mixing bowl until frothy, using electric mixer at medium-low speed. Add salt and increase the speed to medium-high and beat egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well. Continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form.
   
   
4. Gently fold in hazelnut-flour mixture. Spread hazelnut meringue in prepared pan.
   
   
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until very lightly browned and just set when lightly touched. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completely.
   
   

Make the dark chocolate ganache:

Put chocolate in medium bowl. Heat cream in saucepan until it comes to a boil. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds to soften the chocolate. Whisk mixture until smooth. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let cool for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Dip 12 hazelnuts in chocolate ganache for garnish and let set.

Make the buttercream:

1. Place the egg yolks in mixing bowl. Place bowl in a shallow bowl filled with hot water and set the bowl with the egg yolks directly over it, letting the water touch the bottom of the bowl to warm the yolks. Stir gently for 1 minute or until the yolks are warm.
   
   
2. Remove bowl from the water. Beat egg yolks 5 to 7 minutes, using electric mixer at medium-high heat. Beat until yolks have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beater is raised. While the eggs are mixing, prepare the syrup.
   
   
3. Combine granulated sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
   
   
4. With the mixer running at medium speed, carefully pour the hot syrup into bowl. Continue to beat the eggs until they have cooled to room temperature, about 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add the butter, one to two tablespoons at a time, beating well. The buttercream will look lumpy or curdled when half of the butter has been added, but it will smooth out at the end. Add the hazelnut liqueur.
   
   

Assemble the cake:

1. Cut cake crosswise into 4 equal pieces, about 11 x 4 inches. Cut a piece of cardboard into 11 x 4-inch rectangle. Cover the cardboard with foil; place one of the cake pieces on the cardboard rectangle.
   
   
2. Spread half of the chocolate ganache over the cake. Top with the second cake layer and spread with 1 cup buttercream filling. Repeat layering and spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. If desired, pipe some of the buttercream around top edge of dessert as in photo.
   
   
3. Lift up the cake on the rectangle base, supporting the bottom of the cake in one hand. Using your other hand press the finely chopped hazelnuts on sides of the cake. Garnish with chocolate-dipped hazelnuts.