Marjolaine Cake

Vegan Marjolaine Cake Recipe. Flourless. Gluten-free

Marjolaine Cake gone Vegan?

I answer this with an enthusiastic “why not”? Vegan and completely flourless, hence gluten-free.
When it comes to major party cakes, which is precisely what this wonderful creation is, the more treats that can include everyone, the better. And let’s face it, we know there will be some vegan guests at the party. Oh yeah, and we know there will be some gluten-free guests too! So let’s make everyone happy!

My original recipe, demurely called Praline Chocolate Log, is in my Dairy-free Cookbook. Incidentally, you will find my dairy-free cookbook a wonderful resource. The hardcover sold out fast, but the Ebook is every bit as gorgeous as the hard cover, and all updated. I can’t recommend it enough! Only the cake layer contained eggs, so the transition to vegan is practically painless.

Marjolaine Cake: the ultimate Party Cake!

This teacher couldn’t let go of her dairy-free cookbook without including this giant “mother” party cake recipe. I will give you just a couple of reasons why:

  • Because it is a stunning cake, and tastes absolutely delicious, that’s the obvious reason.
  • The second reason is: it is much less sugar-y and much less fat than its traditional classic counterpart, making it a more “affordable” splurge.
  • A third reason is, each component of this cake is very simple. It can be made quickly and separately a few days in advance, and assembled in just a few minutes on serving day, up to a few hours before serving time.
  • Finally and most importantly, each component is a valuable building block for dessert making, and can be used separately in any combination in many other applications, of which I will include as many as possible.

Think of all the wonderful components of this cake!

In one fell swoop, you will have a few classics you can use together, a lightened up version of each of the great classic building blocks, as in this cake of cakes. But you can also use each component in its own right, as shown in the cake variations.

  • Hazelnut Meringue Cake
  • Hazelnut Mousse
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Praline Powder
  • Caramel Sauce
  • Coffee Buttercream

I took much poetic license

Of course I realize that. Even if the name of each component doesn’t sound too orthodox (it isn’t!) to the pastry purists, I still hope to be forgiven after just two or three bites, and the next day when you discover you have no sugar or fat hangover (and you still have a midriff!). I always remember with pleasure a thank-you note I received from a customer I catered a wedding for: “Dear Levana, you are the only caterer I know with a heart!” (italics hers).

Marjolaine Cake Layers

Image result for marjolaine cake

In the traditional version of Marjolaine Cake, the chocolate layer comes all the way on top, and looks quite dramatic. But there’s plenty of room to play, just as long as the traditional flavors of the cake are all present: Chocolate, hazelnuts, praline, coffee.

Aquafaba:

The perfect ancient addition to the modern kitchen!

I must confess here, I scoffed at all the raves I came across about aquafaba, chickpea cooking water (or from the can of chickpeas). A newly discovered baking superpower for making meringue and all egg-based things? Wow, the Holy Grail! No, I am not vegan. But I do love to explore with all that plant foods have to offer, as the overwhelming proportion of our diet is plant based. I call it our 80/20 diet. The Book of Aquafaba made me a chickpea water convert, and my conversion is on solid.

Variations on Marjolaine Cake:

See for yourself how resourceful you can be once you have the components of the cake on hand, since they each keep so well!
I will be sure to include this variation paragraph at the bottom of the recipe as well.

  • The cake base can be made using any kind of nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds. Likewise, the praline powder can be made with any kind of nuts and the hazelnut butter can be made with any kind of nut butter.
  • The cake base can be a base for jelly rolls, or layered as it is here, with other layers: simple syrup, liqueur, jam, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, etc…
  • The praline is delicious as a topping on crème caramel, ice cream or dessert sauces.
  • Both the chocolate and hazelnut mousses are wonderful enough to be used each by itself or in combination, or as layers to a chocolate cake base, génoise or jelly roll.
  • Parfaits: Place the chocolate mousse in dessert glasses. Top with hazelnut mousse, sprinkle with praline powder.
  • Caramel sauce: perfect over ice cream, bread pudding, pound cake and roasted fruit.

 

Ingredients

Hazelnut Meringue Cake Base

  • 2 cups ground hazelnut meal/flour (Grind them yourself or buy the hazelnut flour ready)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup Aquafaba (from a 19-oz can of chickpeas), well chilled
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Coffee Buttercream:

  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup canned coconut milk, full fat
  • 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder, dissolves in a few drops hot tap water

Chocolate Mousse:

  • 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, only the best
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder, decaf okay, mixed with 1/4 cup hot water
  • 2/3 cup pure cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons brandy or rum
  • 1 pound silken tofu, drained

Hazelnut Mousse:

  • 1 cup unsweetened hazelnut butter (Grind your own until smooth, or buy it)
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar (or regular sugar, just make sure you blend until the mixture is perfectly smooth and not gritty)
  • 1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and blotted dry with paper towels.

Praline Powder:

Caramel Sauce (optional, but fabulous):

  • 3/4 cup sucanat or coconut sugar,  or pure date syrup
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
  • 3 tablespoons brandy or rum
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Hazelnut Meringue Cake Base:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the hazelnut meal, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Whip the chilled aquafaba with the cream of tartare until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually and whip until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and the oil, and beat just until incorporated.
Now switch to your mixer's lowest setting. Gradually add the hazelnut flour mix. Give it a last good mix with a spatula: make sure all mixture is gently but thoroughly incorporated.
Pour the batter evenly onto a jelly roll pan lined with wax or parchment paper. Bake 15 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched lightly. Let the cake cool and cut across into 4 identical strips. The width of the pan will be the length of the rectangles.

Make the Coffee Buttercream:

Beat all ingredients with a hand mixer, until the mixture is light and fluffy. If it is not firm enough, add a little sugar.

Make the Chocolate Mousse:

In a small saucepan, over a very low flame, melt the chocolate chips, coffee, cocoa and sugar, mixing until just smooth (or microwave 2 minutes). Meanwhile mix the oil, brandy and tofu in the food processor; process a full minute. Add the melted chocolate mixture and process another minute, until perfectly smooth. Chill until firm. Makes about 4 cups. You might not end up using it all up.

Make the Hazelnut Mousse:

Place all the ingredients in a food processor, and process until perfectly smooth. Chill until firm. Makes about 3 1/2 cups. You might not end up using it all up.

Make the Praline Powder:

Set the toasted nuts close together, in one layer, on a sheet of oiled heavy duty foil set on a cookie sheet.
Heat the sugar and water on a medium-low flame in a small saucepan, for about 5 minutes, undisturbed. It will turn a deep amber brown. Immediately turn off the heat (as sugar could go from just done to burned in no time). Quickly and uniformly pour over the nuts. Let the mixture cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break the mixture into chunks and place in a food processor. Grind into a medium-fine powder. Store in a glass jar. Makes about 2 cups. You might not end up using it all up.

Make the Caramel Sauce:

Bring all ingredients to boil then reduce the flame to low, and simmer about 5 minutes, until thickened. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Assembly:

Line an oblong cake plate with plastic wrap, letting the sides overhang (it will be pulled out when the cake is all assembled so the platter stays clean).

  • Place a layer of cake.
  • Top with a 1/3-inch layer of chocolate mousse.
  • Top with a layer of cake.
  • Top with a 1/3-inch layer of hazelnut mousse.
  • Top with a layer of cake.
  • Mix the remaining hazelnut mousse with 1 cup of the praline powder, and spread on the cake
    1/3-inch thick (you will have some mixture leftover).
  • Top with a layer of cake.
  • Spread the coffee butternut cream on the top and the sides of the cake.
  • Garnish with the leftover praline mixture on the sides of the assembled cake

The cake can be assembled several hours before serving. Gently pull out the plastic wrap from the bottom of the cake before serving. Serve a thin slice, with a little (optional) pool of caramel sauce. Makes 16 to 20 servings.

Variations on Marjolaine Cake:

I included them in the intro, but here they are again.
See for yourself how resourceful you can be once you have the components of the cake on hand, since they each keep so well!

  • ·  The cake base can be made using any kind of nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds. Likewise, the praline powder can be made with any kind of nuts; the hazelnut butter can be made with any kind of nut butter.
  • ·  The cake base can be a base for jelly rolls, or layered as it is here, with other layers: simple syrup, liqueur, jam, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, etc...
  • ·  The praline is delicious as a topping on crème caramel, ice cream or dessert sauces.
  • ·  Both the chocolate and hazelnut mousses are wonderful enough to be used each by itself or in combination, o r a s layers to a chocolate cake base, génoise or jelly roll.
  • ·  Parfaits: Place the chocolate mousse in dessert glasses. Top with hazelnut mousse,sprinkle with praline powder.
  • ·  Caramel sauce: perfect over ice cream, bread pudding, pound cake and roasted fruit.
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