Lemon Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
8 inch springform pan; 3 inch tall
1 C. sugar; plus
6 large egg whites
1/3 C. hazelnuts; toasted
4 Tbsp. sugar
Lemon cream
1 C. fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. sugar
9 large egg yolks
1 C. sugar; plus
1 C. whipping cream; chilled
Raspberry sauce
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 pint fresh raspberries (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees line two 17 x 11 inch cookie sheets with parchment. Using springform pan bottom as guide, trace 2 circles on each parchment sheet. Invert parchment. Finely grind nuts and 1 Tbls. sugar in processor. Beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks, Gradually add 1 C. plus 3 Tbls. sugar and beat until still and glossy. Gently fold in nut mixture. Spoon meringue into large pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch plain round tip. Pipe dab of meringue under parchment at corners to secure fit to cookie sheets. Starting at the center of 1 circle, pipe meringue in a circular motion to form a solid coil and fill circle. Repeat with remaining 3 circles. Bake meringues until dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Carefully peel parchment from meringues. Gently place springform pan bottom atop 1 meringue to 8 inch rounds disk. Using serrated knife, cut round pan, trimming meringue to 8 inch round. Repeat with remaining rounds. Lemon cream: Whisk lemon juice, yolks, eggs and 1 C. of sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to consistency of softly whipped cream and registers 160 F on a candy thermometer, about 13 minutes. Strain lemon curd through sieve. Press plastic wrap onto surface; chill until cold. Beat cream in medium bowl to soft peaks. Add 1 Tbls. sugar and beat until stiff. Fold cream into lemon curd. Place 1 meringue in bottom of the springform pan, trimming the edges with knife to fit into pan. Spoon 1 1/4 C. lemon cream over. Place 2nd meringue in pan, trimming if needed. Gently press down until meringue touches cream. Spoon 1 1/4 C. lemon cream over. Top with 3rd meringue and repeat process. (Reserve any leftover lemon cream for another use.) Freeze torte overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap and keep frozen.) Raspberry sauce: Puree raspberries in processor. Strain into a bowl, pressing on seeds with back of spoon. Mix in sugar and lemon juice. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Wrap hot wet towel around pan sides. Release. Transfer to a platter; run icing spatula around sides to smooth out. Arrange raspberries atop torte. Serve with sauce.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)