Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

This is rich. And dense. And chocolately. And hazelnutty. Think of it as Nutella for adults, in the form of a cake. (By the way- do you say it like nut-ella or noo-tella? I say nut-ella because I pronounce the word nut like nut. I’d never say “this cake has hazelnoots“. Please join me in the campaign to say Nutella the correct way. There, now that’s out of the way.)

The only thing missing on this swoon-worthy torte (according to The Husband) was a layer of Nutella frosting on the top. Although this dessert can stand on its own, I do admit that a smearing of any kind of goo takes anything to the next level. So it’s up to you- bake and eat this as it is, in all its rich yet simple glory, or make a glaze or frosting like I’ve suggested below. (You might choose to just make and eat the glaze on its own… because of the Frangelico. I’d respect that.)

If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving or holiday dessert that’s different from the tried-and-true pumpkin parade, bake this one up. It looks classy (especially when served with whipped cream), tastes spectacular, and freezes well if you’re organized enough to make it in advance. Cheers to all of that.

Adapted from bon appetite’s recipe…

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1 cup superfine sugar, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup, plus more for pan

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 cups blanched hazelnuts

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon Frangelico (or other hazelnut liqueur; optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1. Preheat oven to 375° and butter a 9” springform pan (or cake pan) and line with a round of parchment. Butter parchment and sprinkle pan with superfine sugar.
2. In a medium bowl, melt chocolate in microwave for 1 minute (stirring, then microwaving in 20 second increments until fully melted). Allow to cool slightly.
3. In food processor, pulse hazelnuts, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and ¼ cup superfine sugar until very finely ground.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter and remaining ¾ cup superfine sugar until light and fluffy (3 – 5 minutes). Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating 30 seconds between additions. Beat in Frangelico (if using) and vanilla. On low speed, mix in melted chocolate. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
5. In a medium bowl (with a whisk attachment on a stand mixer, or cleaned beaters with a hand mixer), beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold in 1/3 of beaten egg whites into chocolate batter with a spatula, then fold remaining whites into batter just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
7. Bake cake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake 30 – 40 minutes longer (until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean). Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow cake to cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.
Tips:
- Hazelnuts should be blanched, which means that the skins should be removed. You can buy blanched, or to save money you can roll hazelnuts with their skins in a kitchen towel (oh, like this one) and pick out the nuts. (If the little skins still stay on, pop the nuts into a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes along with a teaspoon of baking soda, then drain and rise with cold water. Roll them in the kitchen towel again… voila- the skins should rub off.)
- Too lazy to blanch your hazelnuts? Fine, corner-cutter. It won’t totally ruin the torte.
- Glaze! Stir Frangelico with confectioners’ sugar and pour it overtop… or beat Nutella with a bit of butter and confectioners’ sugar to get the consistency you’re looking for.
- Freeze this puppy and serve when you’d like. Like now.
- Enjoy!
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November 30th, 2013 | More Sweets Please | 2 Comments | Tags: Cakes, Chocolate, Nuts

2 Responses and Counting...

Connie Fatouros 11.30.2013

Hi,
I’ve just come across your website, and am absolutely loving it.
Just wanted to ask, could I use hazelnut meal and just omit pulsing it with the other ingredients, if yes, do I still use 1 1/4 cups?
thanks
More Sweets Please

Hi Connie- I think you could use hazelnut meal for sure- just make sure to keep the little bit of flour in, as per the recipe. Let me know how it goes!
(Sorry for the delayed response- your comment was lost in a sea of spam :))