Hungarian Chocolate And Hazelnut Cake (Esterhazy Torte) (2024)

Esterhazy Torte! This ultra-indulgent Hungarian Hazelnut and Chocolate Layer Cake is an absolute treat! Also known as Esterhazy Torte, it’s made up of soft layers of hazelnut dacquoise, a silky-smooth hazelnut praline chocolate pastry cream, and is topped with a chocolate and vanilla glaze. And if that wasn’t already indulgent enough, it’s coated in hazelnuts.

Nick’s favorite thing about Esterhazy Torte…

I absolutely adore how delicious this cake is. It’s not overly sweet or grossly rich. But rich in flavour! My favourite thing however is how soft and melt in your mouth it is. So delicious and each layer is a pure delight.

What does Esterhazy Torte taste like?

Esterhazy Torte, so yum! There’s a gorgeous marriage of toasted hazelnut and silky smooth chocolate. Your fork just melts through each layer. The tope is glazed with a sugar glaze and covered in toasted hazelnut on the outside.

What are the ingredients I need?

Hazelnuts – If you can’t find skinned hazelnuts, see notes at the end of the recipe on how to make your own skinned hazelnuts.

Granulated sugar – also known as regular white sugar.

Salt – I used fine salt.

Glucose syrup – corn syrup will also work.

Bicarb soda – also known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda.

Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar.

Cocoa powder – I used unsweetened cocoa powder.

All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour.

Corn starch – also known as corn flour.

Eggs – I used large eggs.

Milk – I used full cream. Skim and plant based milk will also work.

Butter – make sure it’s chilled and make sure it’s cubed for the pastry cream. Make sure the melted butter is cooled slightly before making the glaze.

Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!

Powdered sugar – also known as icing sugar

Let’s go through each step.

Hazelnut Praline

1. Preheat your oven to 160C / 325F. You’ll be using a lot of hazelnuts in this recipe. It’ll be 4 1/4 cups all up. Place all of the hazelnuts on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
2. Allow to cool.

3. Place sugar, water, salt and 1 cup of toasted hazelnuts in a medium sized saucepan on medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
4. Add glucose syrup and mix until well combined.

5. Turn heat down to medium and allow to bubble away, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep golden colored syrup.
6. Once it reaches that color turn off the heat and add the bicarb soda. Stir immediately until well combined.

7. Pour onto a baking tray and allow to set for 20. Minutes until hard.
8. Break into smaller pieces and place in a food processor.

9. Process until it turns into a paste. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until ready to use.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

1. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, corn starch, and salt into a large mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
2. Add the egg yolks and about 1 cup of the warmed milk and whisk until well combined. Add the remaining milk and combine.

3. Pour into a large saucepan and use a wooden spoon to stir on medium heat until thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Take off the heat and add about 1/3 of the cubed butter. Stir until well combined.

5. Then add another 1/3 and repeat until it’s all in there.
6. Pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

7. Once chilled, add to a food processor and process until super smooth, about 5 minutes. Make sure you scrape down at least once.
8. Add the hazelnut praline and process for 2 minutes or until well combined.

9. Place back in the bowl and chill until ready to use.

Hazelnut Dacquoise

1. Preheat and oven to 150C / 300C. Spray the bottom (not the sides) of four 8-inch cake tins and line the bottom with baking paper. Set aside. Add the remaining hazelnuts into a food processor and process until they reach a fine crumb texture.
2. Take out two cups of hazelnuts and set aside. You’ll use those two cups for the outside of the cake. Add 1/3 cup of flour into the food processor and process until well combined. Set aside.

3. Add the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
4. Whisk for 4 minutes or until thick and glossy.

5. Add the vanilla extract and salt and whisk for another 30 seconds.
6. Stop the mixer and add the remaining 1 1/4 cup of toasted and crumbed hazelnuts along with another 1/3 cup of flour.

7. Use a spatula to gently fold through until well combined. Add the mixture to a piping bag.
8. Pipe the mixture into all 4 cake tins. Gently tap on your workbench 3 times. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Assembly

1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (22cm) springform pan with baking paper.
2. Run a sharp knife around the sides of the cooled cakes to loosen them.

3. Add one layer of cake into the springform pan.
4. Use a piece of acetate measuring 25 1/2 inches (65cm) wide and 3 inches (8cm) high in the cake tin. The cake layer will help keep things in place.

5. Add 1/4 of the chocolate pastry cream and spread around evenly. You can do this using an offset spatula or a tablespoon that has been bent as shown in the video.
6. Add the next layer and repeat until all 4 layers have been used. Please note: you will have used 3/4 of the chocolate pastry cream and should have another 1/4 left.

Glaze

1. To make the vanilla glaze add the powdered sugar to a small bowl along with the melted butter and mix using a whisk until well combined. To make the chocolate glaze repeat the same process as above using the addition cocoa powder.
2. Pour the vanilla glaze on top of the cake and spread around.

3. Add the chocolate glaze to a piping bag and snip the end off. Pipelines on top of the glaze.
4. Use a toothpick or skewer to drag across the chocolate glaze lines. Place back in the fridge for 4 hour or overnight to set.

Let’s decorate!

1. Take the chilled and set cake out of the springform pan. Slowly unwrap the acetate.
2. Transfer to a serving plate using the baking paper at the bottom to help you.

3. Cover the sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate pastry cream.
4. Finish by covering in the remaining 2 cups of toasted and crumbed hazelnuts.

My Top Tips for Esterhazy Torte!

Storage

This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

How to skin hazelnuts

For this recipe you’ll need skinless hazelnuts. If you cannot find store bought hazelnuts you can skin them by placing them on a baking tray and baking them on 160C / 325F for 20 minutes. Once baked, take out of the oven, and pour into a clean tea towel. Bunch up the towel, encasing the hazelnuts inside and rub the heel of your hand on top. This will help the already loose and oily hazelnut skin to rub on the towel and against the other hazelnuts in the towel. Undo the towel and pick out the skinned hazelnuts. Continue this process until all the hazelnuts are skinned. Some hazelnut skins are stubborn and won’t come off. They’re ok to use.

Toasting the hazelnuts

To toast the hazelnuts, simply place them on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes on 160C / 325F or until golden in color. Keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. Alternatively, you can place them in a deep skillet and toast them on medium high heat until golden. Again, don’t take your eyes off them or they will burn!

Eggs

You’ll be using the egg whites in this recipe to make the hazelnut dacquoise and the egg yolks to make the pastry cream.

Warm milk

You want the milk to be warmed to about 50C / 100F.

Other Recipes You Might Like!

• Really Good Chocolate Cake
• Boston Cream Pie Cake
• Salted Caramel And Chocolate Cupcakes
• White Chocolate Mud Cake
• Vietnamese Ice Coffee Cake

Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe andleave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!

Nick Makrides

Nick Makrides is an ex Navy (for 7 weeks before I realised it was a major mistake), graphic designer and pastry chef. Although he likes to think of himself as a home, self taught, pop queen baker.