Hazelnut Orange Cake

BY STÉPHANE GLACIER, M.O.F. PATISSIER

Makes four 540 g cakes.

CHEF'S TIP: The alcohol can be substituted with orange juice or another citrus fruit as desired.

Syrup

INGREDIENTS:
350 g sugar
600 g water
100 g Cointreau®

METHOD:
Bring the water and sugar to the boil. Cool and add the Cointreau®.

flour butter for greasing the molds

INGREDIENTS:
500 g butter
90 g T65 flour

METHOD:
Cream the butter until softened, then stir in the flour.
Butter the cake molds with a brush.

Cake

INGREDIENTS:
380 g butter
450 g brown sugar
100 g ground whole almond
320 g whole eggs
130 g milk
500 g T65 flour
14 g baking powder
70 g confit orange peel
120 g whole almonds
50 g hazelnuts
30 g Cointreau®, 60° proof

METHOD:
Smooth the butter and sugar with a spatula. Gradually add the ground almond, then the eggs and milk. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture. Blend the orange peel, whole almonds and hazelnuts with the Cointreau® in a food processor. Add it all to the first mixture.
Mold in cake molds lined with floured butter.
Line the 540 g molds and bake in a convection oven at 145°C for around 60 minutes.
Unmold and soak the still-warm cakes in the cold syrup.

Decoration

INGREDIENTS:
Apricot glaze as required
Chopped hazelnuts as required
Confit oranges as required

METHOD:
Top the cakes with the hot apricot glaze, then decorate using the chopped hazelnuts and confit orange pieces.