Continued:
Make the caramelized hazelnuts and hazelnut praline:
Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a
small
saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat,
stirring
constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to
medium-high
and continue to cook without stirring for 4 to 6 minutes until the
syrup
caramelizes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Add the 12
perfect hazelnuts to the caramel and toss to coat. With an oiled
fork,
remove each hazelnut, letting the excess caramel drip back into
the pan,
and place them at one end of the prepared baking sheet. Quickly
stir the
3/4 cup of hazelnuts into the remaining hot caramel. Pour the
hazelnut
praline onto the other end of the baking sheet. Cool the praline
for 30
minutes until hard. Reserve the individual caramelized hazelnuts
for
decorating the cake.
Coarsely chop the praline. In a food processor fitted with the
metal
chopping blade, process the praline for 35 to 45 seconds until
finely
ground. Transfer the praline to a bowl and set aside.
Make the framboise syrup:
In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Cook over medium
heat,
stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar
dissolves. Stop
stirring; raise the heat to medium-high and bring the syrup to a
boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the framboise liqueur and
vanilla.
Make the mascarpone cream filling:
In a 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer using the
wire whip
attachment, beat together the mascarpone cheese, sugar and
framboise
liqueur at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. While
continuing
to beat the mixture, gradually add the heavy cream; increase the
speed
to medium-high and beat the mascarpone mixture until soft peaks
form and
the mixture is spreadable. Cover and refrigerate the cream until
ready
to use.
Assemble the cake:
Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake lengthwise into 3 long
strips
of equal width. Place one cake strip on a wire rack.
Using a pastry brush, moisten the top of the chocolate cake strip
with
some of the framboise syrup. Using an offset metal cake spatula,
spread
1/4 cup of the mascarpone cream over the moistened cake strip.
Cover the
cream-coated strip with a layer of raspberries, placed
stem-side-down in
even rows over the cake (this will take approximately 2 1/3 cups
of
raspberries). Scrape l 1/2 cups of the mascarpone cream on top of
the
raspberries. Using a small offset metal spatula smooth the cream
into an
even layer, allowing it to settle into the gaps in between the
raspberries. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the ground praline over the cream
layer. Place a second cake strip on top of the praline; repeat the
preceding layering process and top with the final cake strip.
Reserve
the remaining ground praline to garnish the sides of the cake.
Spread
the remaining mascarpone cream in a thin even layer around the
sides of
the cake, filling in all the gaps. Place the wire rack with the
cake on
it in the refrigerator for l hour to set.
Make the glaze:
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring
the
cream and corn syrup to a gentle boil. Pour the hot cream mixture
over
the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the
chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth. Allow the glaze to cool for
5
minutes.
Glaze the cake:
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place the wire rack on a
baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the cake, covering it
completely.
While the glaze is still wet, put the remaining ground praline
around
the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 5 to 10 minutes,
until
the glaze is set. Garnish the top of the cake with the caramelized
hazelnuts.
Yields
8 servings
