Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Submitted by Jinn
European-style chocolate hazelnut cake made with ground hazelnuts and breadcrumbs instead of flour. Whipped egg whites keep it light while chocolate, butter, and cinnamon bring deep, warm flavor.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsThis is old-world European baking at its finest. No flour in sight. Ground hazelnuts and breadcrumbs do the heavy lifting, giving the cake a dense, moist crumb with a nutty warmth that regular flour simply can’t deliver.
Eight eggs get separated. The yolks go into a rich base of melted chocolate, butter, and sugar. The whites get whipped stiff with sugar and folded in to lighten everything up. A teaspoon of cinnamon threads through it all, adding that subtle spice that makes you stop and wonder what you’re tasting.
It rises tall in the oven, firms up beautifully, and freezes like a dream if you want to bake ahead.
Chef Tips
- Stir a quarter of the whipped whites into the batter first to loosen it up. This makes folding in the rest much easier without deflating them
- Ground hazelnuts can be store-bought or pulsed in a food processor. Just don’t over-process them into nut butter
- This cake keeps remarkably well: up to 5 days wrapped in the fridge, or a full month in the freezer
- Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. It’s rich enough on its own
Ingredients
Directions
Set rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Grease a 10-inch round pan, 2 inches deep, and line bottom with round of parchment or waxed paper.
Place chocolate in small bowl over hot water to melt, stirring occasionally.
Beat butter with ⅓ cup sugar until soft and light.
Beat in melted chocolate. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.
Combine hazelnuts, bread crumbs and cinnamon and stir in.
Whip egg whites until very soft peaks form.
Beat in remaining ⅓ cup sugar in slow stream; whip until firm peaks form.
Stir ¼ of whites into batter. Fold in rest with rubber spatula.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 45 minutes or until well risen and firm in center.
Invert cake onto rack; let cool for a few minutes.
Lift off pan and let cake cool completely.
For advance preparation, wrap cake in plastic and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.
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