Description

This elegant almond hazelnut birthday cake features layers of rich, nutty flavor and a silky mascarpone cream with a hint of bourbon. Perfect for special occasions, it combines roasted hazelnuts and almond flour for a delicate yet indulgent texture. The mascarpone filling is light and airy, made with fresh, high-quality eggs, or it can be customized to suit your preferences. Ideal for spring celebrations, this cake pairs beautifully with seasonal strawberries and makes a memorable centerpiece for any gathering.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
If you roast the hazelnuts at home, put them in a baking sheet and roast them at 350F for about 10-12 minutes. After roasting, remove as much of the skin as possible and grind in a food processor until you get a textured flour, like a hazelnut meal. (You will need additional hazelnuts for the filling, so make sure you have enough – about 1 cup after ground)
Start preparing the layer cake by mixing all the dry ingredients in a bowl (except for the sweetener!).
Separate the eggs and beat the egg yolks using an electric mixer with half of the sweetener and vanilla until soft and creamy. Use a larger bowl for this, as later you will add the dry ingredients to the egg yolks.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until fluffy, add the other half of the sweetener and beat until the foam won’t run if the bowl is turned upside down.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolks. Stir together, you will get quite a hard dough.
Start incorporating the egg whites, a few tbsp at a time, gently, with a spatula or a spoon, the dough will become soft and fluffy.
Pour the batter into an oiled 8 inches / 20 cm cake pan and bake on the middle rack, for 30 to 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it in the last 5 minutes and do the toothpick test.
Take out, let cool and remove from pan (I use a pan with removable walls, it’s much easier to take out.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING / CREAM

Separate the egg and beat the egg white separately until foamy and solid (This is a cream made with raw eggs, tiramisu type, so make sure you use the freshest eggs).
Beat the egg yolk with sweetener until creamy, and start incorporating the mascarpone cream, one tbsp at a time. After all the mascarpone is added, add the heavy whipping cream and continue mixing. Add the vanilla, and start incorporating your egg whites, slowly.
Once the cream is done, if not used to fill the cake immediately, put it in an air-tight container and store it in the fridge).

FOR THE CAKE SYRUP

Make the coffee, let it cool and add the bourbon or the alcohol you are using.
Once all this is done, cut the layer cake in two halves, add the syrup to the bottom layer with a spoon, until the surface is slightly moist but not soggy. Add half of the cream, top with the ground hazelnuts, and add half of the strawberries, sliced or cubed, whichever you prefer.
Put the second layer on top, add the syrup with a spoon, until slightly moist. Add the rest of the cream, ornate with strawberries and ground hazelnuts.
This cake should sit in the fridge for at least a few hours before serving, it is always better after one day in the fridge.

Notes

I recommend making the layer cake in advance and assembling the cake the night before serving, but as long as it rests few hours in the fridge you should be fine. There is a lot of room to play with this cake. You can make the cream of your choice, use the seasonal fruits of your choice, use the alcohol of your choice or just skip, but these ingredients together give it a nice depth of flavors. Also, you can roast and grind the hazelnuts in advance, so you don’t have to make everything at once (or buy them already made if you find). They have to be roasted though, and so salt added.

Almond Hazelnut Birthday Cake with Mascarpone Cream