Almond Praline Cake ( Cakes and Pastries Recipe)

by Tarla Dalal

Added to 28 cookbooks
This recipe has been viewed 12805 times

A spongy cake with a crunchy texture, this looks as if it is covered in translucent gold. You could use chikki instead of praline!

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Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Makes 1 cake

Ingredients

For The Praline
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup coarsely ground cashewnuts (kaju)
oil for greasing
greased rolling board
greased rolling pin
greased knife or metal dough cutter

For The Cake
1 vanilla sponge cake [ 175 mm (7”) ]
1/2 cup sugar syrup
1 1/2 cups butter icing
a few drops of lemon yellow colour
a few drops of almond essence
1 cake board

Finish The Cake
pastry comb
1/4 cup butter icing (from above)
6 praline triangles (from above)
leftover crushed praline (from above)
plastic piping bag fitted with a no 5 star nozzle
turn table

Method
For the praline

Melt the sugar in a pan on a slow flame.
Carefully take a little sugar syrup with the laddle, place it on your thumb, press your index finger against it and check if you get a 1-string consistency. If so, then the syrup is ready and if not, then continue cooking , while stirring continuously till you get a 1-string consistency.
Once it has melted, add the coarsely ground cashewnuts and mix well to make the praline.
Grease a flat rolling boards with a little oil.
Pour the mixture on the greased flat surface and roll it with the greased rolling pin so as to get a thin layer. Do not touch the praline at this point as it will be really hot and can cause serious burns.
To make small triangles, cut parallel lines at a distance of 25 mm. (1”) with the help of a greased knife or a metal dough cutter.
Then cut the praline diagonally to form a triangle. Make 6 such triangles. Keep aside.
Crush the remaining praline coarsely with a rolling pin. Keep aside

For the cake.

Slice the sponge cake horizontally into 2 equal parts. Keep aside.
Combine the butter cream icing, food colour and almond essence in a bowl and mix well using a wooden spoon.
Keep 1/4 cup of butter cream icing aside for the decoration.
Soak the bottom layer of the sponge cake with 1/2 the soaking syrup.
Spread 1/2 cup of butter cream icing on the soaked layer of the cake.
Sprinkle a little crushed praline on top and sandwich with the second layer of the cake.
Soak the second layer of the cake with the remaining soaking syrup and spread the remaining butter cream icing cream evenly on top and at the sides.
Transfer the cake onto a cake board and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.

Finish the cake

Place the cake on a turntable and run a pastry comb along the sides.
Fill the plastic disposable piping bag fitted with a no. 5 star nozzle with the butter cream icing. Hold the piping bag in your hand and move your wrist anti-clockwise while applying gentle pressure to make a swirl.
Finish the circle and gently lift it in a single motion to form a peak. Repeat to make 6 swirls on top of the cake
Using the crushed praline, decorate the center and the base of the cake.
Place 1 praline triangles on each swirl.
Cut into 6 equal wedges and serve.