Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut and Chocolate Frosting

Yes, you’re right, this is the second class in a row on chocolate cake flavored with hazelnuts. This cake is so incredible we had to share it. The cake is slightly dense, not a result of the absence of gluten but rather the type of cake. This cake will stay moist in the refrigerator for days. At three days old, this cake was just as terrific as it was the day it was made! And the frosting! The frosting is actually two frostings. The first is a Hazelnut Cream Frosting that is applied to the cake and then chilled. The second is a rich, dark Chocolate Frosting that is applied warm on top of the hazelnut frosting. Truly an incredible gluten-free dessert you’ll be proud to serve!

Ingredients:

For cake:

• 4 ounces gf semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon gf flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons ground, skinned hazelnuts
• Whole hazelnuts for decoration

For Hazelnut Cream Frosting:

• 1-1/4 cups skinned hazelnuts
• 5 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 Tablespoons brandy
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 4 Tablespoons softened butter
• For Chocolate Frosting:
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet gf chocolate, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons cream
• 2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Step 1. Prepping hazelnuts

For this recipe you will need toasted hazelnuts for the cake and for the hazelnut cream frosting. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place enough hazelnuts for both recipes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for about 15 minutes. Remove the towel and rub four or five nuts between the palms of your hands. The skins will loosen and fall off. Don’t worry if all the skins do not fall off. The nuts are now ready for use.

Step 2. Grinding hazelnuts

Measure out 3-4 Tablespoons of the toasted nuts and place into a food processor or food mill. Chop nuts until finely ground. Measure out 3 Tablespoons of ground nuts and set aside.

Step 3. Prepare oven and cake pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place an 8" cake pan on top of a sheet of parchment paper and trace the bottom of the pan. Cut out the circle of parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides of the cake pan and place the parchment circle in the bottom of the pan. Grease the parchment and lightly flour bottom and sides of pan.

Step 4. Melting Chocolate

Because chocolate is a key ingredient in this recipe, it is essential to use a top quality dark chocolate. It truly will make all the difference between a good cake and a spectacular cake. We used Scharffen Berger’s semi-sweet chocolate. (www.scharffenberger.com)

Chop 4 ounces of semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate and place in the top of a double boiler. Add 6 Tablespoons butter and place over an inch of simmering water. (water should not touch pan with chocolate) With a rubber spatula, stir chocolate mixture until it starts to look glossy and about half is melted. Remove pan from over simmering water and continue to stir until completely melted. When chocolate is melted properly it is shiny and stays that way for about 15 minutes. Let chocolate mixture cool.

Step 5. Preparing the batter

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow. Stir in oil. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture and stir to blend. Add flour, (we used the Gluten free Pantry’s Country French Bread Mix as a direct substitution for flour), salt and 3 Tablespoons ground hazelnuts; stir to blend.

Step 6. Beating and folding egg whites

Place egg whites in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter 1/3 at a time. To fold, cut through the center of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then make a circular motion around the bowl bringing the batter from the bottom of the bowl to the top. Repeat this motion until egg whites are incorporated into batter. Repeat this process until all egg whites have been incorporated. The goal of folding is to incorporate the egg whites without breaking down their light airy texture or that of the batter.

Step 7. Bake cake

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 40 minutes. Do not worry if the cake cracks on top while baking. When cake is done, remove from oven and cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the cake from the pan and finish cooling completely on a rack.

Step 8. Making hazelnut paste and cream frosting

Place skinned hazelnuts in a food processor and process until nuts form a paste. Continue to process until the consistency is like peanut butter. Place hazelnut paste in a medium bowl and add corn syrup and brandy. Let sit for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl cream together powdered sugar and butter. Add hazelnut paste and blend thoroughly.

Step 9. First frosting

When cake is cool, invert in onto a serving plate and spread top and sides with hazelnut cream frosting. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 10. Making chocolate frosting

Place chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Repeat directions for melting chocolate. Transfer chocolate mixture to medium bowl and beat in cream. Stir in sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Step 11. Second frosting

Remove cake from refrigerator and frost top and sides with chocolate frosting. Spread while frosting is still warm. Decorate top of cake with whole hazelnuts and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

- Glutenfreeda