Hazelnut and Vanilla Dessert Cups
If you’re like me and love the combination of vanilla and hazelnuts, then this dessert will steal your heart. It’s very easy to make, and the end result will not disappoint.
Whenever I visit my favorite Italian ice cream shop during the summertime, I always ask for one vanilla and one hazelnut ice cream… always. Most of the servers already know, and sometimes they even ask me in advance before I get the chance to speak. I sometimes wonder what they think. Do they ever ask themselves why I don’t try different flavors? Or am I just overthinking it, and they actually don’t care what flavor I get? I mean, they probably have their own problems, right?! Okay, so the point is, I just love this flavor combo. I think I can proudly say that I’m probably the number one fan of vanilla in the world. Anything vanilla will steal my heart.
A few days ago, I kept asking myself what dessert I should make this weekend, but nothing really came to mind. October is about to end, and I’m a bit tired of the same old fall desserts, anything pumpkin or apple. So I kept thinking and thinking until I came up with this super delicious recipe, which is not hard to make, and I guarantee you’ll love it too.
It’s a dessert made with a simple hazelnut sponge cake as the base. The cake gets crumbled up, then vanilla pastry cream is piped on top. Lastly, it’s sprinkled with hazelnut praline and topped with whipped cream. It is so good! I hope you guys give it a try.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
For the Hazelnut Sponge Cake
Eggs: Separating the eggs is very important for for creating a light, airy texture in this sponge cake.
All-purpose flour: This gives the cake structure.
Ground hazelnuts: If you can find at your local grocery store, I recommend using roasted ground hazelnuts. They taste so much better than the unroasted ones.
Granulated sugar: When mixed with the egg yolks, it creates a creamy base, and when added to the egg whites, it helps to stabilize the meringue.
Baking powder: Baking powder helps the cake rise.
Milk: Milk adds moisture to the batter, ensuring the sponge stays soft and doesn’t dry out.
Sunflower oil: Oil adds even more moisture to the cake, but make sure to use one with a neutral flavor like sunflower oil or canola oil.
For the Hazelnut Praline
Hazelnuts: Here, I used a mixture of both whole and chopped, just because I did not have enough whole hazelnuts at home. You can also use a mixture of both, or even just chopped up. Ultimately, I find that the chopped up hazelnuts blend easier together in the food processor
Granulated sugar: Creates the caramel base.
Water: A small amount of water helps dissolve the sugar and controls the caramelization process.
Butter: Most hazelnut pralines are made without butter, using only sugar and water. However, using butter is personal preference. It slightly softens the texture of the caramel, making is easier to break and blend.
Extras
Whipped cream: Use whipped cream as a topping for the dessert.
Vanilla Pastry Cream: You can use homemade or store-bought pastry cream. For homemade, check out my Vanilla Pastry Cream recipe.
Step by step directions with pictures
1. I recommend preparing the Vanilla Pastry Cream a day prior to making these delicious dessert cups. Check out the recipe here.
2. Let’s prepare the hazelnut sponge. First, preheat the oven to 180C and prepare the cake tin by lining it with baking paper and greasing with a bit of butter. For this recipe, I used a 22x30 cm cake tin. You can use any cake tin that’s bigger than 23 cm, just make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly. The bigger the cake tin, the faster it will bake.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
4. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with half of the sugar until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
5. In another bowl, mix the egg yolks with the other half of the sugar until light in color and fluffy; then, mix in the oil and the milk until fully incorporated.
6. Next, mix in the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture. I recommend using a hand mixer for this step, however, make sure not to overmix it.
7. Once ready, time to fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Do this gradually, by adding a little bit of egg white to the egg yolk and gently folding everything together.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 20 minutes.
9. While the cake is baking, prepare the hazelnut praline.
10. Add the sugar and the water to a small saucepan, and over medium-high heat, let it caramelize until it reaches a light amber color. Make sure NOT to stir while caramelizing.
11. Once caramelized, take it off the heat and mix in the room temperature butter.
12. Then pour in the hazelnuts and mix until all of it is coated with the caramel sauce.
13. Pour the hazelnut-caramel mixture onto a baking paper and spread it out evenly. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
14. Once it has cooled down and slightly hardened, blend it all together until it reaches small crumbs. I recommend using a food processor or chopper for this. Once ready set aside.
15. Once the cake is done baking, take it out the oven and let it completely cool on a wire rack.
16. After it has completely cooled down, place it in a large bowl, and using your hands tear the cake apart into small crumbles.
17. To assemble the dessert cups, first place some of the crumbled cake in a cup; then pipe the vanilla pastry cream over it and top with whipped cream and hazelnut praline. Repeat this step until you run out of ingredients.
18. Let them chill in the fridge for about a few hours and enjoy. Just a recommendation, but they taste the best after chilling them in fridge overnight and serving the next day!
![Vanilla-Hazelnut Dessert Cups Vanilla-Hazelnut Dessert Cups](https://i.imgur.com/sSiwPOL.jpeg)
Vanilla-Hazelnut Dessert Cups
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 70g all-purpose flour
- 100g ground hazelnuts (preferably roasted)
- 100g granulated sugar
- 4g baking powder
- 60g milk
- 50g sunflower oil (or any other neutral oil)
- 55g roasted and peeled Hazelnuts (can be whole, chopped or a mixture of both)
- 35g granulated sugar
- 15g water
- 20g unsalted butter
- Vanilla Pastry Cream, homemade or store-bought (Check out my Vanilla Pastry Cream recipe here)
- Whipped Cream, for topping
Instructions
- I recommend preparing the Vanilla Pastry Cream a day prior to making these delicious dessert cups. Check out the recipe here.
- Let’s prepare the hazelnut sponge. First, preheat the oven to 180C and prepare the cake tin by lining it with baking paper and greasing with a bit of butter. For this recipe, I used a 22x30 cm cake tin. You can use any cake tin that’s bigger than 23 cm, just make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly. The bigger the cake tin, the faster it will bake.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with half of the sugar until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
- In another bowl, mix the egg yolks with the other half of the sugar until light in color and fluffy; then, mix in the oil and the milk until fully incorporated.
- Next, mix in the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture. I recommend using a hand mixer for this step, however, make sure not to overmix it.
- Once ready, time to fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Do this gradually, by adding a little bit of egg white to the egg yolk and gently folding everything together.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 20 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the hazelnut praline.
- Add the sugar and the water to a small saucepan, and over medium-high heat, let it caramelize until it reaches a light amber color. Make sure NOT to stir while caramelizing.
- Once caramelized, take it off the heat and mix in the room temperature butter.
- Then pour in the hazelnuts and mix until all of it is coated with the caramel sauce.
- Pour the hazelnut-caramel mixture onto a baking paper and spread it out evenly. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Once it has cooled down and slightly hardened, blend it all together until it reaches small crumbs. I recommend using a food processor or chopper for this. Once ready set aside.
- Once the cake is done baking, take it out the oven and let it completely cool on a wire rack.
- After it has completely cooled down, place it in a large bowl, and using your hands tear the cake apart into small crumbles.
- To assemble the dessert cups, first place some of the crumbled cake in a cup; then pipe the vanilla pastry cream over it and top with whipped cream and hazelnut praline. Repeat this step until you run out of ingredients.
- Let them chill in the fridge for about a few hours and enjoy. Just a recommendation, but they taste the best after chilling them in fridge overnight and serving the next day!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
188Fat
12 gSat. Fat
2 gCarbs
16 gFiber
1 gNet carbs
15 gSugar
10 gProtein
4 gSodium
55 mgCholesterol
52 mg