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s it a cake, or a sponge cake? Is it meringue? Dacquoise [da-kwaz] can be a layered cake or a cake component, and it always contains meringue, however – it isn’t just meringue. It is one very special sweet treat – nutty, chewy and when combined with silky chocolate ganache – absoultely amazing! Today I am making hazelnut dacquoise, and before I start, I’ll give you one little tip. I like to roast my hazelnuts until golden brown because roasting emphasizes the divine hazelnut aroma even more, and then I grind them, and I use them for my dacquoise.
What is Dacquoise
Dacquoise [da-kwaz], sometimes called nut meringue, is French meringue mixed with almond or hazelnut flour and some powdered sugar, piped into a disc or poured into a ring mold, and baked. The result is slightly crispy on the outside, very soft and a bit chewy from the inside kind of a sponge cake. In some cases you will even find a small quantity of flour in dacquoise recipe. The flour will provide denser texture and more stability to the final product. If you layer dacquoise discs with Chantilly cream or French buttercream you will be making a cake, also called – dacquoise. A bit confusing, I know, sorry…
Dacquoise Origin
Dacquoise is a layered cake originated from Aquitaine, a region in the South-West of France, and its name originated from the word dacquoise, which means a female citizen of the city of Dax when translated from French. This cake has another, less known name. It is also called palois [pa-lwaz], which is also a term for a female citizen of town of Pau, situated in the same region.. The cake is usually constituted of two or three layers of meringue enriched with almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios or coconut flour, with various flavors of buttercream in between.
How to Make Dacquoise
- Sift almond or hazelnut flour, powdered sugar, and flour (if you decide to use it) into a bowl. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients. If you don’t have a nut flour, grind your nuts and add them to the mixture.
- Make French meringue from egg whites and sugar. Put egg whites in your favorite stand mixer and whisk them to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and continue whisking until meringue forms stiff peaks.
- Add dry ingredients into the meringue, and fold them carefully with a rubber spatula.
- Pipe the mixture onto baking paper in a form of a disc or pour it into the mold.
- Dust the discs with powdered sugar before baking (this step is optional).
- Bake them at 180°C (350°F) for about 10-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of dacquoise.
- Remove dacquoise from the oven and leave it to cool down.
Chocolate Dacquoise Cake Recipe
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 30 minutes
Cook time : 30 minutes
Ready in 60 minutes plus cooling
Level : Advanced
Dacquoise Cakes- Egg whites 200g (7oz)
- Sugar 50g (1.8oz)
- Roasted hazelnuts 200g (7oz)
- Powdered sugar 200g (7oz)
- All purpose flour 50g (1.8oz)
- Dark chocolate 200g (7oz)
- Whipping cream 200g (7oz)
- Butter 50g (1.8oz)
- Pulverize roasted hazelnuts in a food processor.
- Sift powdered sugar and flour into a bowl and add ground hazelnuts. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
- Make French meringue from egg whites and sugar. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, and gradually add sugar. Continue whisking until meringue reaches stiff peaks.
- Add dry ingredients into the meringue, and fold them carefully with silicone spatula.
- Fill two 16cm (6 inches) ring molds with the mixture
- Bake dacquoise at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Take them out of the oven and leave them to cool down completely.
- Make ganache. Chop chocolate into small pieces and put it into a bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream into the bowl with chocolate. Leave for a minute and then start stirring until all the chocolate melts and ganache becomes nice and glossy. At the end add softened butter and continue stirring until the butter melts.
- Leave ganache at room temperature to cool down.
- When ganache cools down, it will thicken a little bit. You should stir it every now and then, and when you feel it is thick enough to pipe, put it in a piping bag fitted with plain 10mm (3⁄8) tip.
- Remove dacquoise from the molds by using small knife. Level the top of dacquoise with serrated knife.
- Pipe the ganache onto the first dacquoise. Place the second dacquoise on top and decorate with leftover ganache.
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