DESSERT RECIPE: THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS CAKE

Photo credit: Collation.

This chestnut, hazelnut, cocoa and orange zest Bundt cake with honey and orange blossom mascarpone cream will be the star of your holiday dinner!

Special thanks to our official pastry chef Charlotte (co-creator of Collation and daughter and our founders) for the recipe!

Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 95 g chestnut flour

• 95 g ground hazelnuts

• 10 g cocoa

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• Zest of one orange

• 150 g unsalted butter, soft

• 50 g brown sugar

• 5 eggs, whites and yolks separated

• 35 g honey

• 15 g rum

• 75 g white sugar

For the mascarpone, honey and orange blossom cream:

• 300 g 35% cream

• 180 g mascarpone cream

• 25 g honey

• 8 g orange blossom water

Instructions

To prepare the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Butter a Bundt pan and “flour” it with sugar. Reserve.

2. In a bowl, combine chestnut flour, ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and orange zest. Reserve.

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time until smooth. Add the honey and the rum.

4. Add the dry ingredients.

5. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Wash the bowl of the stand mixer and add the egg whites to the bowl.

6. Beat the egg whites until stiff, adding the white sugar when the egg whites start to foam, one spoonful at a time. Beat the whites until they become firm.

7. Fold the egg whites into the mixture one third at a time, working gently to avoid deflating the whites.

8. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

9. Remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes, then unmold. Wait for the cake to cool before adding the cream.

For the mascarpone, honey and orange blossom cream:

1. Pass the mascarpone cream through a sieve. Reserve.

2. In a small bowl, mix the honey and the orange blossom water until well combined. Add this mixture to the mascarpone and mix until smooth. Reserve.

3. Put the 35% cream in the bowl of the stand mixer. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone-honey-orange blossom mixture and whip until combined.

4. Store the cream in the fridge until ready to assemble.

Assembly:

Add a big dollop of cream in the centre of the cake or serve the cream directly on each piece of cake. Drizzle with honey.

If you try this recipe, don’t hesitate to share your results with us by tagging @cuisinesteam on Instagram or Facebook!

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