Nutcracker Cake

1. We spread the finished sponge cakes on the work surface. In this recipe, we will need a square shape of cakes, so we will not cut anything.

2. Put the boiled condensed milk in a bowl, add the softened butter here. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer into a fluffy cream.

3. We put the peanuts in a frying pan, send them to the fire. With constant stirring, fry the peanuts for 5-7 minutes.

4. We spread the roasted peanuts on a clean kitchen towel, let it cool down a little. Then we peel off the husk. Peeled peanuts are chopped coarsely with a knife. If you buy already peeled and fried peanuts, you can safely skip this item.

5. Whisk egg whites into a fluffy foam, gradually pour in white sugar. Without stopping whipping, add brown sugar. Beat until stable peaks.

6. Then very carefully pour starch into the proteins, mix with a silicone spatula with movements from top to bottom.

7. We line the baking sheet with parchment, spread the protein mass on it. We give the meringue a square shape, commensurate with the sponge cakes.

8. We send the baking sheet to the oven preheated to 120 degrees, dry the meringue for 2 hours. Then cool in the oven.

9. Assemble the cake: soak the cakes with syrup, then smear with cream. We choose a place for meringue, it can be placed between the first and second cake or between the second and third. This is optional.

10. We send the cake to the refrigerator. In the meantime, let's get busy with ganache. Under the mastic, it is better to align the cake with them.

11. The chocolate is melted to a liquid state. This can be done in a microwave oven or in a water bath. Then let the chocolate cool down and only after that add the softened butter.

12. Mix first with a spatula, and then beat with a mixer at the highest power. With the resulting cream, we level the surface of the cake and the sides. This can be done immediately or wait until the ganache thickens even more.

13. We send the cake to the refrigerator for an hour so that the ganache freezes well. He's kind of sealing the cake. This is very good for mastic.

14. Well, in conclusion, the most interesting thing is to decorate the delicacy. To do this, we roll out the white mastic into a layer, cover the cake with it. We cut off the excess. At the bottom we let a green mastic border.

15. The surface of the cake is decorated with mastic figures, this is a Nutcracker and a Christmas tree. The figures are not difficult to make yourself, but for this you will need food dyes. Therefore, if there are none, then the figures can be ordered in advance.

15. The sides of the cake are also decorated with mastic figures in the form of gingerbread men. But all the decorations can be adjusted to your taste at will. You can glue the decor with food glue or just water. The tip of the brush is dipped in water, lubricate the part and the attachment point. The mastic melts and the parts are perfectly attached.

It would be advisable to leave the cake overnight for impregnation. Or at least for 5-6 hours.

Have a pleasant tasting and a merry holiday!