Chocolate Espresso Hazelnut Battenberg
Tender hazelnut and espresso cakes, enrobed in a creamy hazelnut spread and wrapped up in chocolate marzipan.
Here it is, our bonus recipe! If you liked last week’s Marionberry Poppy Seed Battenberg, then why not give this chocolate, espresso, and hazelnut variation a try?
Servings: 8 to 10 | Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 to 30 minutes
8” x 8” square pan
Parchment paper
Sifter / fine-mesh sieve
Hand-mixer / stand-mixer
Food processor
Cake leveler
Pastry brush
Bench scraper
Hazelnut Cake:
¼ cup roasted hazelnuts, skins removed
¾ cup cake flour
½ cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp water
2 large eggs, separated
3 egg whites
1 ¼ tsp vanilla
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
Espresso Cake:
⅓ cup strong coffee, hot
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 cup cake flour
¾ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, cubed
⅔ cup caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 large egg, separated, room temp
Hazelnut Spread:
4 oz. roasted hazelnuts
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp + 2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp canola oil
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
Chocolate Marzipan:
3 cups almond flour
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
8 tbsp light corn syrup
½ tsp almond extract
½ tsp vanilla
Assembly:
Hazelnuts, whole
Hazelnut Cake (20 minutes)
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Grease an 8” x 8” square pan with shortening. Line with parchment paper, creating a fold in the middle of the pan, so you have two equal halves. Set aside.
Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until very fine.
Transfer the ground hazelnuts to a large bowl.
Sift in the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the oil, water, egg yolks, and vanilla.
Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture and set aside.
In a large bowl, with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, beat the 5 egg whites with the cream of tartar over low speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
Slowly increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
Gradually fold the egg white mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
Set aside while you make the espresso cake.
Espresso Cake (20 minutes prep + 25 to 30 minutes baking)
In a measuring cup, combine the brewed coffee and espresso powder. Whisk together and let cool.
In a small bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, beat the butter on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla until the mixture is very light in color and texture, about 4 minutes.
Beat in the egg yolk.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Add in a third of the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Then beat in half the cooled coffee. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Set batter aside.
In a small bowl, with a hand-mixer, whisk the egg white on high speed until soft peaks form.
Gently fold in about one fourth of the egg white mixture into the batter, then fold in the remainder.
Carefully pour each of the prepared cake batters into the divided pan, one on each side of the parchment divider. (You may need to hold the parchment up as you pour so it doesn’t fall over.)
Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden on top and spring back when gently pressed.
Hazelnut Spread (15 minutes)
In a food processor grind the hazelnuts until they start to liquify, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Process until well combined.
With the food processor running, drizzle in the oil and vanilla. Process until smooth.
Add the salt and process for 5 seconds. Set aside.
Chocolate Marzipan (5 minutes)
In a food processor, combine almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Pulse until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer to a medium bowl.
Add the corn syrup, almond extract, and vanilla, and stir until combined.
If the marzipan is too crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water until it comes together.
Lightly knead on a work surface until you have a smooth ball with even color. Set aside.
Assembly (20 minutes)
Use a cake leveler to remove the rounded tops of the cakes.
Cut the cakes in half so you have four long rectangles with square ends of equal size.
Use a pastry brush or a butter knife to brush hazelnut spread onto the long sides and press the cakes together into a checkered square.
Set aside.
Roll out the marzipan between two pieces of parchment paper to about ¼” thickness.
Remove the top piece of parchment and place the cake in the center.
Use the bottom piece of parchment to roll the marzipan around the cake, pressing it to the hazelnut spread so it sticks. Pinch the seam to attach.
Cut off the ends of the cake so the marzipan and cake are all even with each other.
Flip the cake so the seam side is down and place onto a serving plate.
Use a bench scraper to indent a crosshatch pattern onto the marzipan top.
Decorate with whole hazelnuts.
Serve immediately. Keep leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a week.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade