July Daring Baker Challenge ~ Filbert Gateau With Praline Butter Cream

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will remember I blogged about visiting Chocolatier Jacques Torres' shop in DUMBO, Brooklyn, earlier in the month, where I bought one of his "Big Daddy" dark chocolate bars for a baking project.

Today is the day I can reveal the project! Ta Da!

It is a Filbert Gateau with Praline Butter cream, a Carol Walter recipe from the book "Great Cakes." It was the July Daring Bakers challenge, and I made it as my mother's 86 birthday cake.On July first I joined "Daring Bakers" group of Bloggers after seeing Proud Italian Cook's June Daring Baker challenge of a Rum, Raisin and Ricotta Danish Braid. It looked so delicious, and the idea of more than a thousand bloggers creating the same new recipe challenge every month and displaying it on their blog seemed like a lot of fun!

The July recipe was chosen by Chris of the blog Mele Cotte, and she will have the entire recipe on her blog, plus a "half" version if you would like to make this cake yourself.

The preparations for the Filbert genoise, praline Swiss butter cream filling and chocolate ganache glaze was four pages long when I printed it out, and took many steps and two days to make, but it was delicious and I learned so many new techniques by making it!

I did not have the proper tip to decorate the top as directed, with the leftover butter cream used in the filling, and it was a very hot day when I was decorating the cake so everything was melting slightly, so I wasn't completely satisfied with my initial decoration. I decided to sprinkle some of the leftover praline paste crystals, crushed filberts and some chocolate jimmies on top.

I liked the way this looked as I think it made it appear more festive for use as a birthday cake!

Of course I did not need to use the entire "Big Daddy" bar for the chocolate ganache glaze recipe, but I decided it would be nice to have the chocolate on hand for future baking endeavors.

If you would like to see wonderful versions of this magnificent gateau on other Daring Bakers web sites today check the Daring Bakers blogroll! There is also an open forum for general baking discussions here, but you have to be a member of Daring Bakers in order to register to log in for each month's challenge and discussions regarding it.

If you think you are up to taking the monthly challenge instructions are on the blog as to how to join! Don't delay, as there is only a 24 hour time limit to join evey month for the next month's challenge!

There is even an "Alternative Daring Baking group for gluten-free, lactose intolerant, allergy, vegetarians, vegans and bakers who use alternate ingredients due to other health concerns or life styles. "

I hope to see you all doing the August Daring Baker Challenge!