GODIVA MARJOLAINE

Steps:

• TOASTING THE HAZELNUTS:(Make a day ahead).
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes, shaking the pan two or three times, until the nuts are golden. Store in air-tight container.(The oven has to be at the correct temperature for the meringues).
• HAZELNUT MERINGUE LAYERS:.
• Preheat oven to 300ºF.
• Generously butter 17"x12"x1" jelly roll pan.
• Line bottom with parchment paper. Then, lightly butter parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap off excess.
• Place 2 cups toasted hazelnuts in a food processor. Cover & process until very fine, but not oily.
• Combine ground hazelnuts and flour in medium bowl.
• Cover and process remaining toasted hazelnuts. Reserve for garnishing the cake.
• Beat egg whites in clean 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, shiney peaks form.
• Gently fold in hazelnut-flour mixture. Spread hazelnut meringue in prepared pan.
• Bake fo 30-35 minutes or until very lightly browned and just set when lightly touched.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Invert the cake onto the wire rack and peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completly.
• 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 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:.
• Place the egg yolks in mixing bowl.
• Place bowl in a shallow bowl filled with hot water; set the bowl with the egg yolks directly over it, letting the water touch the bottom of the bowl to warm the egg yolks.
• Stir gently for 1 minute or until the yolks are warm.
• Remove bowl from water.
• Beat egg yolks 5-7 minutes, using electric mixer at medium-high speed.
• Beat until yolks have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beater is raised.
• While the eggs are mixing, prepare the syrup.
• PREPARING SYRUP:.
• 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.
• With the mixer running at medium speed, carefully(hot sugar really burns)pour the hot syrup into bowl with eggs.
• Continue to beat the eggs, until they have cooled to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low.
• Gradually, add the butter, one or 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 TH CAKE:.
• Cut cake crosswise into 4 equal pieces, about 11x4".
• Cut a piece of cardboard into a 11x4" rectangle. Cover the cardboard with foil; place one of the cake pieces on the cardboard rectangle.
• Spread half the chocolate ganache over the cake.
• Top with the second cake layer and spread with 1 cup buttercream filling.
• Repeat layering and spread with the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake.
• Lift up the cake on the rectangle base, supporting the bottom of the cake in one hand. (It makes it easier to frost when there is more than one person).
• Using the other hand press the finely chopped hazelnuts on sides of cake.
• Garnish with chocolate-dipped hazelnuts.