Chocolate Cinnamon Hazelnut Cake



Makes 1 9" round cake



6 egg whites 4 ounces semi-sweet
chocolate, chopped

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

¾ cup sifted confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon sifted confectioners
sugar

1-tablespoon cornstarch ¾ cup ground hazelnuts

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder



1. Preheat oven to 250 degreesF. Line three baking sheets with parchment
paper. With a pencil, draw 5 circles 9 inches in diameter on the paper. It
is best to trace around a cake pan or large saucepan.

2. In a large clean bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of white sugar and beat until
stiff peaks form. Sift together the ¾ cup confectioners sugar, cinnamon and
corn starch, toss them together with the ground hazelnuts, then carefully
fold them into the egg white mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between the
5 circles, and spread the meringue out to the edge of the drawn circle.

3. Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the meringue is
completely dried out. Cool on wire racks.

4. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Spread
over parchment paper or waxed paper into a 12x10 rectangle. When chocolate
is set, cut the rectangle crosswise into 10 1" strips. Cut 8 of the
strips into thirds. Cut the remaining strips into fourths.

5. To make the filling, whip the heavy whipping cream with the 1 tablespoon
of confectioners' sugar until stiff. Spread whipped cream over all the
meringue layers. Using one of your prettiest plates, stack the layers on
top of one another. Use 2/3 of the remaining whipped cream to spread around
the outside edge of the cake. Put the rest of the whipped cream into pastry
bag and pipe rosettes around the edge. Place the 24 long chocolate strips
vertically around the edge. Arrange the remaining pieces of chocolate on
the top in the design of your choice. Dust the cake with cocoa powder for a
dramatic finish, and serve as soon as possible, as the meringue will soak up
moisture from the whipped cream.