Hazelnut Cake

Submitted by Daisy Hartmann

"A VERY LIGHT but delicious hazelnut cake, and very easy to make! No butter, only 1tsp of flour and made with breadcrumbs, a nice touch. It is my husband's favorite cake and we rediscovered the recipe in his mom's old cookbook. A hit at home and at parties - I've passed on the recipe to many! A variation - fill with chocolate ganache or, for a really quick trick, Nutella, as a VERY THIN LAYER (as the cake is so light) before adding the whipped cream. Sprinkle with cocoa and hazelnuts once done."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 1 cake
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup ground hazelnuts
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 275°F.
2. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and the whole egg together with a wire whisk, or rotary or electric beater, continuing to beat until the mixture is thick and light yellow in color. Gradually beat in ½ cup of the sugar, then the nuts and the bread crumbs. Continue to beat until the mixture forms a dense, moist mass.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the wire whisk or electric beater until the foam, then add ¼ cup of the sugar, 1 tbs at a time. Continue to beat until the whites form stiff, unwavering peaks. With a spatula mix about ¼ of the whites into the hazelnut mixture, then sprinkle the flour over it and gently fold in the rest of the whites. Continue to fold until no trace of the whites remains. Do not overfold.
4. Butter and flour a 10-in springform pan. Turn the pan over and strike it to remove any excess flour. Pour batter into the pan, smooth the top and bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it shrinks away slightly from the sides of the pan. Remove the upper part of the pan as soon as you take it out of the oven and let the cake cool. Slice into 2 equal layers.
5. Whip the chilled cream until it begins to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla adn continue to whip until the cream holds its shape. Fill the cake with the cream and cover as well. Sprinkle leftover chopped nuts over the cake. Serve at once.