Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake (Gluten-Free)

From the Australian Women’s Weekly “little book of Chocolate" - a give-away recipe booklet attached to this month's magazine

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 150  g butter, chopped
• 150  g dark chocolate, chopped
• 5  eggs, separated
• 2⁄3 cup caster sugar (150 grams)
• 1 1⁄2 cups hazelnut meal (150 grams ground hazelnuts)
• 1⁄2 cup  roasted hazelnuts, chopped coarsely (45 grams)

• Chocolate ganache

• 1⁄3 cup  thickened cream (80 mls)
• 100  g dark chocolate, chopped finely

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan-forced. Grease a deep 20 cm round cake pan. Line base and sides of the pan with baking paper.
2. Combine the butter and the chocolate in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until smooth and cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat the egg yolks and the caster sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale.
4. Beat in the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks.
5. Using a clean small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
6. Fold the hazelnut meal into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites in two batches.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 1 ½ hours.
8. Cool in pan. Turn cake, top side down onto a serving plate.
9. Ganache- bring the cream to the bowl in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Stand 5 minutes before using.
10. Spread the cake with the chocolate ganache to serve and top with chopped hazelnuts to serve.