Serves 8-10
If you wish to bake to impress, look no more. This is a wonderful rustic Italian chocolate cake with a crackly crisp top that is destined to leave an unexpected memorable impact on your family and guests. It is a rich, moist and nutty cake that requires no fuss and no extra time to bake. For hazelnut lovers, this is heaven in one’s plate! I love pairing it with vanilla ice-cream just to make it even more scrumptious.
180 g hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
170 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs, separated plus 1 extra large yolk
112 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup/ 200 g granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar or ½ tsp lemon juice (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F /180°C.
Grease the sides of an 8-inch springform pan and line its bottom with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate in microwave and set aside until it cools completely.
In a small food processor, pulse hazelnuts, flour, salt and ¼ cup of the sugar until finely ground.
Using a stand mixer, beat butter and the remaining sugar for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time until combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate and the hazelnut mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar, if using on medium-low speed until foamy. Increase to medium-high and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, gently and gradually.
Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth the top and bake in the middle of the rack for 45 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean when inserted around the edges while the center should still be moist.
Let cool on wire rack for at least couple of hours before removing it from the pan.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar, serve and enjoy!
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