It is clear that the quintessential holiday dessert is panettone or pandoro, but try this Christmas cake, because it is a masterpiece.

We are sure it will become a tradition for your family! Everyone will love it, young and old because it melts in the mouth and gives great satisfaction to the palate.

Soft and delicious, its enveloping taste will enrapture you in a world made only of good and beautiful intentions, of generosity, of pure love. Fabulous in presentation, exquisite to taste, she will legitimize any other dessert on the table and everyone, absolutely everyone, despite the sumptuous banquet that has just ended, will ask for an encore!

What are you waiting for then? Get to work, let’s get started!

The Christmas cake: ingredients

For this recipe, get:

• for the base:
  • 6 eggs
  • a pinch of salt
  • 80 g of sugar
  • 60 g of flour
  • 100 g of chopped hazelnuts
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
• for the cream:
  • 4 eggs
  • a pinch of salt
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 120 g of corn starch
  • 1 liter of milk
  • 200 g of butter
  • 200 g of chocolate
  • 15 g of cocoa
  • 100 g of hazelnuts (toasted and chopped)
  • 8 g of vanilla sugar
• to decorate:
  • 400ml cream (33% fat)
  • 50 g of sugar
  • 300 g of cream cheese
  • 50 grams of white chocolate

The preparation

Line a 24×24 cm pan with baking paper, preheat the oven to 180°.

Break the eggs into a large bowl, start working them with the electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar. When the mixture is clear, airy and swollen enough to have tripled its volume, mix the flour and baking powder in another bowl, sift them over the eggs and incorporate them with a hand whisk. Also add the chopped hazelnuts, uniform and transfer into the pan, level the surface. Bake for 30 minutes.

Drain and leave to cool completely.

In a saucepan, put the eggs, salt and sugar. mix well, then add the cornstarch and pour the milk in two stages, mix everything with a whisk to uniform and obtain a well-bound mixture. Mix well and place on the stove over low heat to thicken the cream.

When you get a full-bodied consistency, remove from the gas and add the butter cut into pieces. Divide the cream obtained in two different bowls. In one add the chocolate flakes, while it is still hot to melt it perfectly. Then sift the cocoa to give an even more decisive taste. Finally add the toasted and coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

In the other, add the vanilla sugar and mix well.

At this point, unmold the cake and divide it horizontally. Put the lower half back into the mold and pour the chocolate and hazelnut cream. Level and cover with the second layer of cake, then pour the vanilla cream. Distribute it carefully.

Now dedicate yourself to the decoration. Pour the cream (very cold from the fridge) into a bowl, add the sugar and whip it with an electric whisk, then add the spreadable cheese.

Then continue working with the whisk. Insert the mixture into the sac à poche with the smooth spout and embellish the surface of your cake.

Grate the white chocolate and enjoy the result!