Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake | Mybestdaysever.com

I had every intention of providing you with some sort of boozy recipe (a bellini perhaps?) so you could welcome in 2011. But it did not eventuate – a day of sledding and building snow forts in Central Park took precedence. When we finally arrived home after an action packed 4 hours the last thing I wanted to do with my daughters was to teach them what kind of fruit I could mix with a good Prosceco (or champagne in my case) to make mummy and daddy silly. So we ventured into cakedom.

When I first made this cake I thought I burnt the brown butter (it was actually perfect) and threw it out, replacing it with something that was far from brown. The second time around I got it right, thankfully! because there is nothing more frustrating than baking a cake that everyone raves about to find it quite bland.

The cake itself is simply delightful, so good in fact that I want to shout it OUT LOUD. A soft hazelnutty interior with a slightly chewy exterior, the caramelized (burnt) butter seems to enhance the flavour of the nuts and give it a texture that can only be described as lush. You can serve it with a sprinkle of icing (confectioners) sugar or cover it with something simple and chocolatey. I chose a basic chocolate ganache – hazelnuts and chocolate are a marriage made in heaven and Mr Man would also be wondering why I would use icing sugar when I could have used chocolate.

Now, more importantly, Happy New Year! I hope the year ahead holds happiness and joy for all you xx

142 grams/5 ounces (about one heaping cup) hazelnuts, blanched to remove dark skins*
227 grams/8 ounces unsalted butter (plus 1 tablespoon melted extra for greasing the pan)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting the cake
1/3 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
5 extra-large egg whites
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350f.

Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 12 to 15 minutes, until they’re golden brown and smell nutty. Let them cool.

Cut out parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 10″ round or a 9″ square cake pan. Brush the pan with a little melted butter and line the bottom with the paper.

Place the rest of the butter in a medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and using a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter. Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter, swirling occsionally, until it browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes – the butter will have a golden brown colour and look like it has grit through it – see pictures below). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

Place the hazelnuts with the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to combine. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the granulated sugar and mix on high speed 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture forms very stiff peaks. When you turn the whisk upside down, the peaks should hold. Transfer the whites to a large mixing bowl.

Alternate folding the dry ingredients and the brown butter into the egg whites, a third of a time. Remember to scrap the bottom of the brown butter pan with a rubber spatula to get all the little brown bits.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 40 – 50 minutes. Cool on a rack 30 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan, and invert the cake onto a plate. Peel off the paper, and turn the cake back over onto a serving platter. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar or cover with ganache (recipe below).

* To blanche the hazelnuts (remove the skins), place them on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 15 minutes then wrap the warm nuts in a dish towel, letting them sit for five minutes and vigorously rub together to brush their skins off.

Ganache for 10-inch Cake
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Melt the chocolate and cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour over cake, smoothing out to the sides.

Notes: I found that browning butter took some practice – best to give it your full attention and not try to do it whilst playing with your children (like I did). I have included some photos below that show what it should look like.