BROWN BUTTER HAZELNUT LAYER CAKE
INGREDIENTS
Hazelnut Praline
- 6 ounces dry roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, optional as needed
Hazelnut Cake
- 2 cups cake flour, substitute all purpose flour
- ½ cup hazelnut flour, substitute almond flour or all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup brown butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup whole milk
Brown Butter Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups brown butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed
DIRECTIONS
1. I highly recommend making the cake layers and the brown butter for the buttercream the night before so that they both have time to fully cool!
Hazelnut Praline
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chopped hazelnuts in an even layer. Set aside.
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In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has melted and turns a deep amber color.
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Immediately pour the sugar over the hazelnuts and spread into an even layer. Let cool to room temperature.
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Once cool, break into large chunks and set aside about ¼ of the chunks to use to decorate the cake.
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Add the remaining chunks to a food processor and blend for about 5 minutes or until it forms a thick paste about the consistency of peanut butter. Initially it will form a fine powder and then continue to blend until a past forms. If the mixture still isn't forming a paste after blending for a few minutes, add vegetable oil 1 teaspoon at a time until it forms a thick paste.
Cake Layers
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray three 6 inch layer cake pans with pan spray.
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Whisk the cake flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until combined.
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Then add in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and mix together until smooth.
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Stir in about half of the flour mixture. Then stir in the milk and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until fully combined. The batter will be thick.
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Pour ⅓ of the batter into each cake pan (they will only be about half full).
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Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
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Place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The pan should slide cleanly away.
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Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature before trimming.
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Once the cakes are fully cooled. Using a sharp bread knife, trim the cakes until the layers are even. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight (minimum 30 minutes).
Brown Butter Buttercream
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In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened brown butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
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Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined. Then beat the buttercream for 3-4 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy.
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If the buttercream is too thick, add in the cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Assemble the Cake
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Remove cake layers from the freezer. Place the bottom layer of cake on your cake stand and spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top. Then pipe a thick border of buttercream around the edge. Spoon some of the hazelnut praline paste evenly over the middle (about ¼ cup). Place the next layer on top and repeat.
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Place the final cake layer upside down so that the top of your cake is as even as possible. Spread a thin layer of buttercream (your crumb coat) over the top and sides of the cake. Then place the cake back in the freezer for 30-60 minutes.
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If desired, set aside a small amount of buttercream in a piping back to decorate the top of the cake (a little less than 1 cup is plenty). Evenly smooth the rest of the buttercream on the top and sides of your cake as desired.
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For the mottled look on the sides of the cake, place a few small dollops of leftover praline at random places on the side of the cake, and then smooth into the buttercream.
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Pipe the remaining buttercream around the top edge of the cake (I used a Wilton 1M tip in these photos). Then sprinkle the remaining chunks of praline over top.
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Refrigerate your cake for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes:
This recipe is designed for 3 six inch cake pans. It will also work with 2 eight inch cake pans.
Cover and store the cake in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze any leftover buttercream for up to 3 months, just place in the fridge overnight to thaw.
Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir frequently and watch closely for the formation of brown specs on the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma. Once you see brown specs, stir for just a few more seconds (it browns super quickly). Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a different bowl to prevent it from burning. Let cool to room temperature. I recommend making the brown butter the night before you make the cake, so that it has time to fully cool to room temperature!
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