This post marks the fourth anniversary of Berry Lovely. As with every anniversary I always make a berry cake. This time it is a hazelnut dacquoise filled with a mascarpone berry cream and topped with some beautiful fresh berries from our garden.
Make sure to give enough time for cooling, since it will make it easier to cut. You can also make this cake with a single berry of your choice, like just strawberries would probably taste great.
Make sure to give enough time for cooling, since it will make it easier to cut. You can also make this cake with a single berry of your choice, like just strawberries would probably taste great.
Mixed Berry and Hazelnut Dacquoise
Hazelnut Dacquoise:
125 g ground hazelnuts
5 egg whites
pinch of salt
150 g sugar
50 g flour
Berry Mascarpone Cream:
5 sheets gelatin
250 g mixed berry puree
250 g mascarpone
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
75 g powdered sugar
3 tbsp. milk
320 ml heavy cream
fresh berries for decorating
In a pan roast the ground hazelnuts on medium heat while stirring constantly. Let cool.
Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and pencil two circles of 20 cm (8-inch) diameter on each paper.
Whip the egg whites with the salt until you reach medium peaks. Slowly add the sugar and keep beating until you have a nice meringue. Fold in the flour and roasted hazelnuts.
Fill the nut-meringue into a pastry bag with a plain round tip. Pipe on the marked baking paper from the center following a spiral to fill out the circles. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the paper.
For the cream soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Using a handheld mixer whisk the mascarpone. Then whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla and the berry puree. Warm up the milk in a small saucepan and dissolve the gelatin sheets in it. Mix into the berry cream, then put into the fridge.
Whip the heavy cream and fold into the berry cream. Let cool for about 30 minutes.
To assemble remove the parchment paper from the meringue disks. Put one disk on a cake plate and spread a quarter of the berry cream on top. Layer the remaining three disks together with the cream on top. Put into the fridge for at least 2 hours. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh berries before serving.
Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and pencil two circles of 20 cm (8-inch) diameter on each paper.
Whip the egg whites with the salt until you reach medium peaks. Slowly add the sugar and keep beating until you have a nice meringue. Fold in the flour and roasted hazelnuts.
Fill the nut-meringue into a pastry bag with a plain round tip. Pipe on the marked baking paper from the center following a spiral to fill out the circles. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the paper.
For the cream soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Using a handheld mixer whisk the mascarpone. Then whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla and the berry puree. Warm up the milk in a small saucepan and dissolve the gelatin sheets in it. Mix into the berry cream, then put into the fridge.
Whip the heavy cream and fold into the berry cream. Let cool for about 30 minutes.
To assemble remove the parchment paper from the meringue disks. Put one disk on a cake plate and spread a quarter of the berry cream on top. Layer the remaining three disks together with the cream on top. Put into the fridge for at least 2 hours. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh berries before serving.
Enjoy and Guten Appetit!
