Hazelnuts abound in Italy and this hazelnut cake presents these toasty delights in a pillowy confection that's suited to an afternoon snack or post-dinner dessert. It's simple and easy – perfect for those days when you have the baking itch, but don't want to get too carried away. We suggest top-quality hazelnuts – such as the ones from Piedmont.
Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
7 oz. all-purpose flour
5 oz. sugar
5 oz. shelled hazelnuts
1 stick butter, room temperature + extra for greasing
3 large eggs
1 lemon
1 packet of yeast
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup milk
flour (to grease the cake tin)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking tray. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. When complete, remove the hazelnuts from the oven and rub them vigorously to remove the outside film.
Set the oven to 400°F. In the meantime, chop the hazelnuts into very fine pieces.
Combine the flour and yeast in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, butter, sugar, grated lemon rind, the mixed flour and yeast, chopped hazelnuts, olive oil, and milk, and mix until it forms a uniform cake batter.
Butter and flour an 8″-round cake pan. Use a spatula to add the cake mixture, spreading it out evenly in the pan.
Place the cake in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until a toothpick emerges clean when inserted into the center. Once finished, let the cake cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Tips
For a cake with a mealy texture, replace half of the flour with fioretto corn flour. You can also add a few other varieties of nuts for an extra-special taste.
Serve the hazelnut cake alongside a spoonful of lightly beaten whipped cream.