Hazelnut Chocolate Cake
My mom loved everything Hazelnut. As a little girl, I remember vividly that she used to take me with her shopping before Xmas or Easter. She always made sure to make a stop at a chocolaterie to buy confections. She would always choose chocolate covered hazelnuts. I can’t forget how delighted she was while tasting the sample the vendor offered her to try. With no hesitation she would buy a few pounds, excited to have this decadence at home to share with us and with the friends and family who visit during the holiday.
Inspired by this memory, I made this cake on Valentine’s Day to show appreciation and love to the one who provided us with love and support throughout our lives. To you mom with love!
Hazelnut Chocolate Cake
Yield: 8
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 1/2 cups raw roasted hazelnuts
- 5 large eggs
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
- Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium/ high heat until melted and golden brown.
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts, scrapping off the edges with a spatula as you go, until finely ground. Add them to the cooled chocolate mixture and stir well to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs with the orange zest, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add the cornstarch and buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.
- Pour the chocolate-hazelnut mixture into the egg mixture and stir well until you get a smooth paste.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the heated oven for around 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool at room temperature.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Slice and serve at room temperature for a delicate texture or chilled for a dense fudge texture. Enjoy!
