Norwegian Hazelnut Cake

Scandinavian baking doesn’t do fussy. This Norwegian hazelnut cake is one layer, ground nuts folded right into the batter, and a glossy chocolate ganache drizzled on top. Simple, elegant, and intensely nutty.

Grinding the hazelnuts yourself rather than buying hazelnut flour is what makes the texture special. You get some fine powder and some slightly coarser bits, which creates a rustic crumb with little pockets of nut flavor throughout.

Beating the eggs with sugar until thick and lemon-colored is the leavening backbone. That trapped air, combined with baking powder, gives the dense, nut-heavy batter enough lift to rise into a tender cake instead of a flat disc.

Pro Tips

• Melt the butter and let it cool before adding. Hot butter deflates the whipped eggs and you lose all that volume you just built up.
• The batter will be thick. That’s correct. Don’t add liquid to thin it out.
• Invert the cake onto the serving plate so the flat bottom becomes the top. Smooth surfaces take ganache more evenly.
• Let the ganache sit for 2-3 minutes after stirring before pouring. Slightly cooled ganache coats the cake in a thicker, more dramatic layer.

Variations

• Toast the hazelnuts before grinding for a deeper, smokier nut flavor that comes through even under the chocolate.
• Use pecans instead of hazelnuts for a warmer, more buttery Southern spin.
• Add a pinch of espresso powder to the ganache. It intensifies the chocolate without adding coffee flavor.