Filbert Gateau

This month’s challenge was to bake a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream from Carol Walter’s “Great Cakes” and the recipe was picked by Chris of Mele Cotte.

This challenge was a formidable task-- not necessarily hard, but, boy did this baby have alot of steps and components.
This cake is composed of a tender hazelnut genoise-- the trickiest part was skinning those hazelnuts. I tried all the special tricks, but still had some stubborn skins. I just sat in front of the TV and put on an old episode of The Sopranos and picked those skins off. The Sopranos will make any chore go by a little faster.

I whipped up the other components, praline paste, buttercream, glaze, syrup without too many problems. Although, as I began the buttercream and had the egg whites whipping and the water simmering, I realized I couldn't find my butter. Now I know I purchased it a few hours before, but it was no where to be found. So off to the Acme I went, and alas, I had left all my butter and fancy chocolate at the express lane! They let me go and fetch the items I left, and I was able to finish my buttercream. I think it came together pretty well, and didn't separate like the one I had made for the buche de noel earlier in the year.

I carefully sliced the layers and assembled the cake carefully, making sure to soak the layers with the syrup and fill the layer with the buttercream evenly so my cake wasn't too lopsided. The ganache came out great; I like the idea of grinding up the chocolate in the food processor- much easier than chopping it and getting lots of melty chocolate all over my hands.

I poured the ganache and piped on a simple decoration. I haven't sliced the cake yet. I think I might give it to my husband to take to work tomorrow--but I nibbled on all the components, and although I do not like nuts, it tasted pretty darn good!

Check out the other Daring Baker's creations!