The buttery flavor of hazelnuts, which vaguely recalls that of cocoa, has the ability to conquer our senses. These delights are the undisputed protagonists of many recipes, such as hazelnut muffins or hazelnut sorbet and the delicious hazelnut cake, of Piedmontese origins, which we propose today! Because of its delicate yet tasty flavor and its hazelnut aroma which immediately won us over, slice after slice, we were not able to save even a small piece for breakfast!
This cake is really made in many versions, such as ours which is low and fragrant. Otherwise, there is a high and soft one, some with wheat flour, and finally there are those without flour and those with delicious chocolate chips. But even the way of enjoying it can differ, simple or dusted with powdered sugar, not to mention the most gluttonous who love to accompany a nice slice with a good bicerin or with zabaglione.
Are you ready to bake this hazelnut cake? We are, here is the recipe!
Hazelnut Cake Ingredients
– 150g peeled whole hazelnuts
– 150g flour 00
– 150g room temperature butter
– 150g sugar
– 8g baking powder for cakes (half a packet)
– 2 eggs at room temperature
– Powdered sugar to taste for the surface
– 379 calories per serving
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Cost: Medium
Note: (for cooking, it is necessary to adjust according to the power of your oven)
Hazelnut Cake Preparation
To prepare the hazelnut cake, start by pouring them into a mixer. You’ll want to crumble them not too finely, so use the pulse function, that is to say repeatedly in bursts, so as to obtain a granulated mixture and then set it aside.
Meanwhile, move on to the rest of the ingredients. Pour the butter cut into pieces and softened at room temperature into a planetary mixer equipped with beaters (if you don’t have it, you can use an electric mixer) together with the sugar.
Activate the beaters for about ten minutes until you get a clear and foamy mixture, then add the slightly beaten eggs little by little. Remember not to add them all together otherwise the mixture will have difficulty inflating, so pour the next quantity only when the previous one has been completely absorbed. In the meantime, sift the flour and baking powder, and with the beaters still running, add a tablespoon at a time to the mixture: as before, add the next one when the previous one has been absorbed. Then it’s the turn of the hazelnuts, which you can add all at once and continue stirring until they have been absorbed.
Turn off the beaters and your dough is ready. Grease and flour a 24 cm cake pan and pour the mixture inside and level it well to have a homogeneous base. You can lightly beat the cake pan on the work surface to settle the mixture. The cake is ready to be baked in a preheated oven, on the lowest shelf (not in contact with the base), in static mode at 180°C for about 30 minutes, then you can continue at 170°C for another 10 minutes. The times can be calibrated based on the power of your oven.
Once the cake is cooked, let it cool completely before unmolding it, then arrange it on a serving dish and, if you prefer, dust it with powdered sugar. Your hazelnut cake is ready to be served!
Storage
The hazelnut cake can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2-3 days or under a glass bell jar in a cool place. If you prefer, you can freeze it, in this case, it is recommended to cut it already into slices.
Tip
If you want to make the hazelnut cake even more rustic, you can add some hazelnuts cut in half to the mixture or chocolate chips! For a coffee-flavored version, take inspiration from our coffee cake recipe!