Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate and Espresso Cream

Ground hazelnut cake topped with a layer of chocolate and espresso cream, an exciting combination and a coffee lovers dream!

Where I grew up there was no such thing as going to the store or baker to purchase a cake. Every home in my part of the country made their own cakes. For any kind of celebration in North of Norway, there are always many different kinds of home made cakes on the table. Great tasting cakes! I will share with you one of them here. I love nuts, chocolate and coffee. This cake has all those ingredients. I try to use the minimal amount of sugar when baking cakes, so hopefully you will find the cake just sweet enough.

Here is how you make it:

1. Set the oven to 320℉

Lining cake form with parchment paper - hazelnut cake

2. Line a round spring cake form with parchment paper

Ground Hazelnuts, flour and baking powder for Hazelnut Cake

3. Grind 200 grams (1 1/2 cup) of hazel nuts in a food processor. I usually pulse the food processor and don't grind the nuts too fine. Mix the ground hazel nuts with 2 tea spoons baking powder and 4 table spoons flour.

Whipping eggs and confectioners sugar for Hazelnut cake

4. Using an electrical mixer, whip 5 eggs and 4 deciliter confectioners sugar until fluffy and light in color.

Folding dry ingredients into whipped eggs for Hazelnut cake

5. Gently fold the nut mix into the egg mix until well combined then pour the mix into the spring form and bake in a preheated oven at 320℉ for 45 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in the form before proceeding.

Melting chocolate in heavy whipping cream for Hazelnut cake

5. On the stove top, in a small casserole, bring 2 deciliter whipping cream to a boil over medium heat. Take the casserole off the heat and add 170 gram semi sweet baking chocolate (broken into pieces) and 2 table spoons confectioners sugar and stir while the chocolate is melting.

6. Plate the cake and make lots of tiny holes in the cake by sticking a tooth pick into it repeatedly (this is so the chocolate cream can soak a little into the cake). Put the spring form back on around the cake (just not the bottom part). Pour the chocolate filling on top of the cake and let cool completely (I put it in the fridge for a little while).

7. Remove the spring form from the cake. Make the Espresso Cream: Using an electrical mixer whip 6 deciliter heavy whipping cream and 4 table spoons sugar until fluffy, be careful not to over whip. At the end mix in 2 to 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder (one at the time and taste in between so you get the coffee flavor you desire).

Whipping espresso cream for Hazelnut cake

8. Spread the cream on top and the sides of the cake and decorate to your liking. Store the cake in the fridge until serving. It tastes the best if it gets to sit in the fridge a couple of hours before serving, but should ideally be served the same day so the cream is completely fresh. To decorate the cake you can either use some chopped hazel nuts, chopped or shaved chocolate or you could even use chocolate sauce/syrup. I usually use chopped hazel nuts.

Ingredients:

Cake:

200 grams hazel nuts

2 tea spoons baking powder

4 tablespoons flour

5 eggs

4 deciliter confectioners sugar

Chocolate Filling:

2 deciliter heavy whipping cream

170 grams baking chocolate (semisweet)

2 tbsp. confectioners sugar

Espresso Cream:

6 deciliter heavy whipping cream

4 tbsp. sugar

2-3 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Decoration:

Chopped Hazel Nuts

(you can also use chocolate sauce/syrup, and chocolate slivers)

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1. Cake: Grind the hazel nuts in a food processor. Mix the ground nuts with the flour and baking powder. Whip the eggs and confectioners sugar with a mixer for a few minutes until fluffy. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mix. Line a round cake form with parchment paper and pour the cake batter into the form. Bake at 320F for 45 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in the form before you proceed.

2. Chocolate Filling: On medium heat bring the heavy whipping cream to a boil. Break the chocolate into pieces. Take the casserole of the heat and add the chocolate and confectioners sugar. Let the chocolate melt in the hot cream and stir until smooth.

3.Espresso Cream: Whip the cream and sugar until you have a fluffy cream. Add the expresso powder, one teaspoon at the time, until you have the desired espresso flavor. I use 3 teaspoons.

4.Decoration: Spread the cream on top of the cake and decorate to your liking. Store the cake in the fridge until serving. It tastes the best if it gets to sit in the fridge a couple of hours before serving, but should be served the same day so the cream is completely fresh.

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