Ingredients for the nougatine layers
- 6 egg whites, of medium eggs
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g icing sugar
- 200 g raw almonds
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Ingredients for the filling cream
- 500 ml whole milk
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 45 g corn starch
- 5 egg yolks, of medium eggs
- 50 g ION PATISSERIE white chocolate couverture
Ingredients for the garnishing
- 200 ml heavy cream 36% fat
- 30 g icing sugar
For decorating
- glacè cherries
- ground pistachios
Method for the nougatine layers
Place the almond into a baking pan and bake at 160 C fan, on the middle oven rack for about 12 minutes.
Then, place into a bowl the egg whites along with the sugar and beat on medium speed with a hand mixer, until they form into a firm meringue.
As soon as the almonds cool beat them into a food processor until ground.
Right after, empty the ground almonds into a bowl and add into it the flour, icing sugar, and cinnamon and stir well with a hand whisk until completely combined. Next, using a mariz, take 1/3 of the meringue mixture and place it into the almond mixture, while stirring with the mariz.
Finally, empty into it the rest of the meringue mixture, and with gentle moves stir with the mariz until completely homogenized. Make sure the mixture stays fluffy through this process and keeps its volume. Then, line a large rectangular baking pan with parchment paper and place on it a 20cm baking hoop.
Fill a pastry bag with the nougatine mixture and use a flat nozzle. Pipe the nougatine mixture over the base of the baking hoop, starting from the center and working your way out, creating a spiral with the mixture.
Afterwards, gently remove the baking hoop and repeat the same process 2 more times, in order to make 3 same-sized bases.
Bake in a preheated oven, on the middle oven rack at 180 C fan, for about 13 minutes.
Line your working surface with a piece of parchment paper. When the nougatine layers are baked and stuck on the parchment paper, grab the edges of the paper and turn it upside down really carefully on your lined working surface.
Finally, gently remove the nougatine layers one by one.
Method for the filling cream
Place a pot over high heat, add into it the milk along with the sugar, and heat until they come to a boil.
Then, place into a bowl the egg yolks and the corn starch. Stir well with a hand whisk and right after gradually add the warm milk, while stirring vigorously.
Next, transfer the mixture back into the pot boil over high heat, while stirring constantly with the hand whisk, until it turns into a firm cream.
Finally, remove the cream from the stove, add the white couverture and stir until completely incorporated.
To assemble
Line a plate of your preference with parchment paper and place on it a 20cm baking hoop.
Then, place into the baking hoop one of the nougatine layers, and right after spread over it half the amount of the filling cream. Repeat the same process for the next nougatine layer. At this stage, make sure you save a small amount of the filling cream ( approximately 3-4 tablespoons).
Immediately after, place the third nougatine layer and spread over it the amount of the filling cream that you previously saved.
Next, cover with a plastic wrap that comes in contact with the upper cream layer. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until cool.
When ready, take the cake out of the fridge, gently remove the plastic wrap, the parchment paper (in case you want to transfer the cake onto another serving plate, transfer it along with the paper and remove it afterwards), and then the baking hoop.
In a mixer’s bowl beat, with the whisk attachment, the heavy cream along with the icing sugar at medium speed until it forms into a firm whipped cream.
Finally, garnish the cake with the whipped cream using a palette knife, a pastry bag, or even a large spoon.
Decorate with glasè cherries or ground pistachios.
