CHOCOLATE, HAZELNUT, AND COFFEE PAVÉ

This many-layered masterpiece combines all my husband’s favorite flavors and textures: melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake, crunchy hazelnut meringue, luscious ganache, and silky mocha cream. Each component is delicious on its own and in pairs. All together, they create a truly impressive wonder that’s worth the effort. The best part is that you can make each component separately in advance. If you’re making this for a birthday, thin candles slide into the cake most easily and look the most elegant.

makes one 5-by-12-inch cake

gluten-free

1. Cut the dacquoise and the cake into 3 rectangles each as directed in the recipes. Use a ruler to check that the dacquoise and cake rectangles are the same size. If not, trim them to match.

2. Carefully invert one cake rectangle onto a serving platter and gently peel off the parchment. Be careful; this cake is very fragile and can crack. If it does, just piece it back together like a puzzle. Spread one third of the mascarpone over the cake. Press a dacquoise layer on top and discard the parchment. Spread one third of the ganache over the dacquoise. Continue layering: mousse cake, mascarpone, dacquoise, ganache, mousse cake, ganache, dacquoise, mascarpone. You can swirl the top layer of mascarpone. Garnish with the candied hazelnuts, if you’d like.

3. The cake can be served immediately to highlight the crunch of the dacquoise and hazelnuts against the creamy mousse cake and mascarpone, or refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The assembled cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but the dacquoise will lose its crunch.