Moroccan Cake (le Russe)

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
• 1 1/3 cups hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
• 3 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 7 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup brewed coffee (optional)
• 1 tablespoon brandy or 1 tablespoon rum
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 300°f (150°c). generously grease 3 (8-1/4-inch) pie pans or molds; cut 3 rounds of waxed paper to line the bottom of each mold and generously grease the waxed paper.
• 2 to prepare the meringue, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar; slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form; divide the egg whites among the three molds and smooth the tops with a spatula; place in the oven and immediately decrease the heat to 275°f (135°c); bake until the meringue is hard but not brown, about 1 hour; (at this point, you can turn off the oven and let the meringues stand for a few hours or overnight).
• 3 to prepare the ganache, reserve 12 hazelnuts for garnish; in a food processor, grind the remaining nuts with 1 tablespoon of the sugar until you have a fine meal.
• 4 combine the chocolate, coffee, brandy, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a heatproof bowl; in a large, heavy skillet, bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat; remove the skillet from the heat; place the bowl filled with the chocolate mixture in the skillet and stir gently until the chocolate melts; set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• 5 pour the cream into a large chilled bowl and whip with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; gently fold the melted chocolate into the whipped cream, and then fold in half of the ground nuts.
• 6 to assemble the cake, carefully peel the paper from the bottom of each meringue; set one round on a serving platter; with a spatula, spread one third of the ganache over the top; cover with a second round, and repeat the procedure; top with the third round, and spread with the remaining ganache, spreading it over and around the sides of the cake; sprinkle with the remaining ground hazelnuts and garnish with the whole nuts; refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours before serving.