1.
Heat your oven to 180c/Gas 4 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Draw a circle 25cm/10inch to act as a guide.
2.
In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time and whisk well between each addition. Continue until all the sugar is incorporated and you have a smooth glossy meringue. Gently fold in the ground hazelnuts or almonds.
3.
Tip the meringue onto the prepared tray and spread so it's the same size as the circle you have drawn. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until crisp.
4.
For the sponge, grease and base line a 25cm springform cake tin. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy and have reached ribbon stage. Sieve the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and carefully fold in until thoroughly incorporated and you have a smooth light mix. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
5.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and continue cooling on a wire rack.
6.
Roll the marzipan to 3-4 mm thick and cut a disc 25cm. Whip the cream to stiff peaks.
7.
Slice the top off of the cake so you have a level surface then make 2 horizontal cuts so you have 3 discs of cake. Choose the 2 best discs of cake to use and freeze the other to use at another time.
8.
To assemble the cake take a serving plate or cake board and place the macaron disc on the base in the centre.
9.
Cover with a layer of jam then top with a thick layer of cream. Sit a sponge disc on top then repeat with another layer of jam and cream and the second sponge disc. For the final topping cover the sponge with a thin layer of jam and a thin layer of cream. Carefully place the marzipan disc on top and lightly press down. Use the remaining cream to cover the sides of the cake and smooth using a palette knife. Press the flakes almonds onto the sides of the cake.
10.
Place the melted chocolate in 2 piping bags, one for the dark and one for the white. Snip the ends of the piping bags and pipe fine lines across the surface of the marzipan to create a diamond pattern.
11.
Store in the fridge until its ready to be sliced and eaten
instructions say to grease the springform pan. That is not a usual step as sponge/ angel good etc need to get a grip and the grease would slip and the cake would not rise as well. I would skip that step and leave the pan clean and dry
ReplyDeleteI made this cake January of 2021 and it was over the top amazing. It is not traditional I found out when I was in Bergen , Norway to have it with the macaron base. That was Paul Hollywood's spin on it. It was over the top though with the macaron base. I never saw it with almonds on the side. I always saw it in Norway with the marzipan covering the whole cake. That must have been his spin on it too. I made many Norwegian friends while I was there for three months. I love Paul Hollywoods version as well as what I actually had in Norway four times at different places including one where my dear adopted Norwegian daughter made me her version of the cake .
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