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01/25/2000 Archived Entry: "French Nut Cake from a Jewish Baker"

Okay, you asked for it. Indeed, many of you have asked for it. This is the so-called French Nut Cake that used to be sold in almost every New York Jewish bakery – thin layers of moist nut cake alternating with raspberry jam, sprinkled on top with cake crumbs. If you can find a decent Jewish bakery these days, you may find this cake, too, but it’s probably not going to be as delicious as we remember it. So? What is?

Now, this is not my kind of project, so I haven’t tested this recipe, but it comes from an unfailingly reliable source, my friend George Greenstein, who for his entire and long life has been a real, old-fashioned Jewish baker. His shop was called Cheesecake King, in Commack, Long Island, and it still exists but doesn’t use George’s recipes any longer. I swear by the recipes in George’s 1993 book, his retirement project, Secrets of A Jewish Baker and I am sure if you have the ambition to tackle this job, you’ll be very satisfied. This is also the book that has the great corn rye bread recipe, among many others that are not necessarily Jewish, but specialties from the days when every New York neighborhood had a great bakery.

French Nut Cake
(Hazelnut Raspberry Loaf)

Makes 2 loaves

1 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons praline paste (praline butter) or almond paste (see note)
3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
6 eggs, beaten to mix well
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup ground, roasted and skinned hazelnuts (filberts)
1 cup Wine Loaf batter (optional, see below)
1 1/2 cups fresh cake crumbs or bread crumbs
Shortening, for greasing pan
Flour, for dusting pan
Pure raspberry jam, for topping
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, cream the sugar with the praline paste and butter.

Beat in the eggs about a third at a time.

Add the salt, vanilla, flour, ground hazelnuts, Wine Cake batter, and cake crumbs. Mix well.

Grease a 12 by 18-inch baking sheet with sides (a jelly roll pan), then line with parchment or waxed paper and grease and flour-dust the bottom. Spread out all of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the crust has color and the center is firm when gently pressed with a fingertip. Let cool on a wire rack.

Refrigerate in the pans for several hours or preferably freeze overnight.

Turn the cake out onto a board or the back of a baking sheet. Loosen the sides by inserting a spatula along the edges, then invert and tap lightly to release. You may have to place the pan in a warm oven for several minutes to release.

When inverted, remove any paper still clinging to the cake. Cut the sheet in half, spread half with the raspberry jam, and carefully slide the other half on top.

Trim the crusts and crumble them by pressing through a sieve or coarse grater. Spread raspberry jam on top and cover with the fresh cake crumbs. Cut in half lengthwise. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Note about nut paste: You can purchase praline paste in baking supply shops and some specialty food stores. Almond paste is available at most supermarkets.

Note about wine loaf batter: This is not in “Secrets of A Jewish Baker,” but George told me over the phone that you can leave out the cup of Wine Cake batter. The cake will not be as light, but it will still be very good, he says.

Wine Loaf
Yields 4 or 5 loaves

1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
5 1/3 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
7 eggs, beaten to mix well
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup water
Shortening, for greasing pans
Flour, for dusting pans

In a large bowl, cream the shortening with the sugar, 1 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat in the eggs, one third at a time.

Mix in the vanilla.

Alternately mix in the remaining 4 cups flour and the water.

At this point the batter can be stored in clean containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Use as above, in the French Nut Loaf/Hazelnut Raspberry Loaf, or bake as follows:

Grease 4 or 5 8- or 9-inch loaf pans, then line them with parchment or waxed paper and grease, flour-dust the bottom.

Turn out the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until evenly browned and the center feels firm when gently pressed with a fingertip.

Let cool on wire racks. This bread keeps well for several days and can be frozen.