Toffifee nougat caramel cake

Shopping List:

• 20cm springform pan

For the Cake Layers:

• 6 eggs
• 200g sugar
• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 250g ground hazelnuts
• 50g flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the Filling:

• 750g mascarpone
• 375ml cream
• 450g nougat
• 80g powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 200g chopped hazelnuts
• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

For the Caramel:

• 300g brown sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 75g butter
• 200ml cream

Instructions:

The Day Before:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with convection.
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, then slowly add the sugar while continuing to whisk. The mixture should be pale and tripled in volume.
3. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts, baking powder, and salt) together and gently fold them into the egg mixture. Be careful not to deflate the batter.
4. Grease two (or four) springform pans and evenly distribute the batter between them. Use a kitchen scale for even portions.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Do the toothpick test; if it comes out clean, the cakes are done. If not, bake a bit longer.
6. Allow the cake layers to cool completely overnight.
7. Meanwhile, heat the nougat with 150ml of cream until melted. Stir well and refrigerate overnight.
8. Toast the chopped hazelnuts in a pan with 1 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of brown sugar until golden. Let them cool on a baking sheet.

The Next Day:

1. Carefully slice each cake layer in half, so you have four equal layers.
2. For the caramel, melt the brown sugar with the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once dissolved, turn up the heat and let it caramelize. Add butter and cream, and simmer until smooth.
3. Test the caramel: drop a small amount onto a flat plate. Hold the plate vertically to check if the caramel firms up. If it’s too soft, continue simmering.
4. Whip the nougat mixture in a large bowl. Gradually add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla seeds. In a separate bowl, whip the cream and fold it into the nougat mixture.
5. Divide the cream mixture into two halves. In one half, gently fold in the toasted hazelnuts.
6. Line a springform ring around one cake layer. Spread 1-2 tbsp of caramel on the base, smoothing it out evenly.
7. Add about 2-3 tbsp of the nougat-hazelnut cream on top of the caramel and smooth it out. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the process until all layers are used.
8. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour.

Decorating the Cake:

1. Place the remaining cream (without hazelnuts) into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Cover the entire cake with the cream, smoothing it out.
2. Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining caramel and place Toffifee on top as decoration.
3. For an extra touch, decorate the edges with hazelnut flakes.

Final Step:

Allow the cake to set in the fridge for a few hours before serving, so the layers can firm up and the flavors meld. Serve your Toffifee Nougat-Caramel Cake for a truly indulgent dessert experience!