Hazelnut Dacquoise with Salted Caramel and Brown Butter Cream

⏱ 210 min · Serves 10

Three crisp-chewy layers of toasted hazelnut meringue, stacked with silky brown butter buttercream and ribbons of dark salted caramel. It shatters, it melts, it gets gasps at the table — a proper show-stopper worth clearing an afternoon for.

Per serving: 812 kcal · 9.5g protein · 72.0g carbs · 55.0g fat

Ingredients

• 200g blanched hazelnuts
• 250g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 30g cornflour
• 6 large egg whites (about 210g), room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• Pinch of fine salt
• For the salted caramel: 200g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• 150ml double cream, warmed
• 60g unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• For the brown butter buttercream: 250g unsalted butter
• 4 large egg whites (about 140g)
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• Pinch of salt
• To finish: 50g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan. Spread the 200g hazelnuts on a tray and toast 10-12 minutes until fragrant and golden. Cool completely, then blitz with the icing sugar and cornflour to a fine, sandy powder. Drop the oven to 150C/130C fan.
2. Line three baking trays with parchment and draw a 20cm circle on each (or bake in batches).
3. Whisk the 6 egg whites with cream of tartar and salt to soft peaks. Add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking to a stiff, glossy meringue. Sift over the hazelnut mixture in three additions and fold gently with a large spatula — keep as much air as you can.
4. Divide between the three circles and spread level with a palette knife. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes until dry and lightly crisp, swapping shelves halfway. Turn the oven off and leave the doors ajar to cool completely.
5. Caramel: heat the 200g sugar with the water in a heavy pan, without stirring, until a deep amber. Off the heat, whisk in the warm cream (it will spit), then the butter and flaky salt. Cool to room temperature — it should be thick but pourable.
6. Brown butter: melt the 250g butter in a pan and cook until the milk solids turn nutty brown. Pour into a bowl, including the sediment, and chill until just set but soft (about 45 minutes), whisking occasionally.
7. Buttercream: whisk the 4 egg whites and 200g sugar in a bowl over simmering water until 70C and the sugar has dissolved. Whip on high to a stiff, cool meringue, then beat in the brown butter a spoonful at a time until thick and silky. Add vanilla and salt. If it splits, keep beating — it comes back.
8. Assemble on a serving plate: a disc of dacquoise, a third of the buttercream, a generous drizzle of caramel. Repeat twice, finishing with buttercream, a caramel drip down the sides and chopped hazelnuts.
9. Chill 30 minutes to set, then dust lightly with icing sugar. Serve in wedges with a hot knife, with any remaining caramel alongside.