Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Friends and Family Feast

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (88)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(88)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 2 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix

Crunch:

1 cup (about 4 1/2-ounces) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Filling:

2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

For the cake:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake according to package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

For the Crunch:

Place the toasted nuts close together in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sugar mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cook until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes. Let the bubbles subside then pour the caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the sugar nut mixture cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the sugar nut mixture is hard and cool, top with another piece of parchment paper and pound into small pieces, or place the sugar nut mixture on a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.

For the filling:

Put the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the Crunch mixture into the whipped cream.

For the topping:

Place the chocolate, sugar and zest in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate is finely ground.

To assemble the cake:

Put 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with 1-inch of the whipped cream crunch mixture. Top with the second layer of cake and continue frosting the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream crunch mixture. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the ground chocolate. Serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Ryan Dallas, TX 02-04-2010
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Super moist, super tasty, and a great way to impress your friends!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Just explaining what you did will impress your friends, much less having them taste it! I'm a big chocolate fan so I'm going... to buy a more chocolaty cake mix next time. The carmalized sugar tasted just like cotton candy!Read more
recipe Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
lauren spokane, WA 01-30-2010
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yuumm!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

this recipe is absolutely BRILLIANT and DELICIOUS!!!
recipe Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Natalia conneticut, CT 01-03-2010
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Cake mix??
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

One box of Chocolate Cakemix? Very disappionted in this non-recipe...
recipe Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Cara Austin, TX 12-30-2009
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Really, really good!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this recipe for my husband's birthday cake, and it was spectacular. We just loved the filling because it wasn't too... sweet. I think he will probably ask for this cake again next year, but I might try adding coffee to the cake batter...Read more
recipe Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
karen irvine, CA 12-29-2009
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excellent
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

we loved this cake, It was a big hit. moist, tastely, melt in your mouth. But since I am a busy mom and there is alot of... parts to this cake and because of the cheese/cream frosting I was worried about making it the day before so I made as much as I could the day before but assembled the day of. I made the cake and the nuts and crushed them the day before. I also ground the chocolate and mixed with the orange zest and just put each piece in an airtight bag, so when I had to assemble all I had to do was whip the cheese and assemble. saved alot of time this way. The cake does stay well in the frig wrapped up, but I wouldn't serve it after it sat in the frig as the fluffiness was gone from the frosting, though still tastes great! I would definitly make again.Read more
recipe Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Katy Apopka, FL 12-15-2009
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What kind of cream?
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The recipe says to use cream, what kind of cream?