Also known as a Hazelnut Torte.
This Hazelnut cake is one of those cakes that rises with incorporating air into the dough. The careful folding in of the egg whites makes this cake rise beautifully.
The first time I made this cake it was a disaster. The person who gave me the recipe neglected to give me any direction about careful folding-in of the egg white. I thought they forgot about the baking powder or something, I was quite upset while scraping the lumpy flat mess out of my pan.
Well that was a long time ago, I think I have it perfected now.
If you can’t find ground hazelnuts in the store, then just grind your own in a coffee grinder, but don’t grind the nuts too long or you’ll have hazelnut butter. When they look almost like breadcrumbs with a few lumps then you’re good.
I used a combination of whipping cream and Buttercream in my cake. For the recipe to my Hazelnut Buttercream follow this link.
Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
- 6 eggs separated
- 1 egg whole
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup finely ground hazelnuts
- ⅓ cup fine dry non seasoned bread crumbs or all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Filling and Topping:
- 2 cups whipping cream
- ⅓ cup icing sugar
- 5 tablespoons Kirsch or rum
- ¼ cup raspberry or strawberry jam
Decoration:
- Grated chocolate
- Toasted hazelnuts whole
Instructions
- Beat egg yolks and whole egg on high speed of electric mixer until thick and lemon coloured. Gradually add ½ cup sugar, beat until very thick, about 7 minutes. Gently fold in the nuts and breadcrumbs or (all-purpose flour instead of the breadcrumbs.)
- Beat the egg whites and a 1/4 cup sugar till soft peaks form.
- Gently fold 1/4 of the stiff egg whites into the yolks thoroughly and gently. Sprinkle flour over mixture and fold in with remaining egg whites.
- Turn into a greased 10” spring form pan.
- Bake at 275°F for 55 to 65 minutes or until cake shrinks slightly from sides of pan
- Remove pan ring and let cake cool.
- When cake is completely cool, cut in half lengthwise to make a top and bottom layer. with a very long bladed knife. For a taller cake double the recipe and make 2 cakes which will give you 4 layers.
Filling Directions:
- Beat whipping cream until very stiff. Halfway through add icing sugar and near end add 2 tablespoons kirsch or rum. Set aside.
Assembling cake:
- When cake is cooled cut in half. Mix jam and remaining kirsch together and spread on bottom layer of cake. Spread a generous layer of whipping cream over the jam. Assemble top layer and cover with remaining whipping cream.
- Decorate with hazelnuts and grated chocolate on top of cake.
*the cake here is a doubled recipe using 2 cake pans.
