Pellegrino Artusi, in his book “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well,” talks about the “Gateau à la noisette,” an extraordinary cake made with hazelnuts and almonds, so good that, according to the author, it deserved a great name. Artusi is absolutely right about this dessert’s deliciousness. Today, I will also talk about this fragrant and delicious dessert, but I warn you that I made one change: I used only hazelnuts; that’s why I called it Pellegrino Artusi’s hazelnut cake, because, although only slightly, it is not entirely faithful to the original. It is a gluten-free, yeast-free cake, very easy, with a process somewhat reminiscent of “Genoese pastry.” It is so soft that it can be enjoyed in its pure state, without needing to be soaked, filled, or accompanied by creams and sauces. It has a compact but soft structure and crumb, almost melting in the mouth. To fully enjoy the aromas and flavors of this cake, I recommend preparing it at least a day in advance.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggs
- 6 oz granulated sugar
- 3.5 oz chopped hazelnuts
- 4.5 oz superfine white rice flour
- 3.5 oz melted butter, lukewarm (also lactose-free)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 0.07 oz fine salt
- 1.75 oz cold whipping cream (also lactose-free)
- 0.9 oz hazelnut granules
Steps
To make this delicious hazelnut cake, start by taking the eggs out of the fridge at least an hour before (if the room temperature is too high, just take them out 30 minutes before making the cake).
We can use whole hazelnuts or toasted granules. They must be toasted; otherwise, they won’t give the cake its characteristic flavor and aroma.
To prevent the hazelnuts from releasing oil and becoming a paste, in addition to adding sugar, I’d recommend reducing them to granules before processing to shorten the time in the blender and avoid overheating. Also, keep them in the fridge for half an hour before using them.
Butter and flour (you can use rice flour for a completely gluten-free and even lactose-free cake if you use suitable butter) a 9.5-inch springform pan.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl or a stand mixer and beat them for 15 minutes at maximum speed with 3.5 oz of granulated sugar and the vanilla.
Preheat the oven to 340°F.
It’s crucial that the oven is already at temperature when we introduce the cake, as the hazelnut cake contains no leavening agents, and the air incorporated into the egg and sugar mixture will make it rise.
Meanwhile, while the eggs and sugar form a cream, grind the hazelnut granules into a powder, blending them with the remaining 2.5 oz of sugar in this recipe; we need to obtain a sort of flour.
Melt the butter, cut into pieces, over low heat and let it cool for about five minutes before adding it to the egg and sugar mixture.
In a bowl, sift the rice flour, add the hazelnut flour, fine salt, and mix them together.
After 15 minutes, when the eggs and sugar have become a voluminous, creamy, and frothy mass, tripling in volume from the start, turn off the electric mixer and add the flours, incorporating them into the egg and sugar mixture in three batches, gently folding them in by hand (with a spatula or a steel whisk) with a motion from bottom to top, from the bottom of the bowl to the top, almost drawing an imaginary circle.
Lastly, gently fold in the liquid melted butter in three stages, always mixing gently and from bottom to top.
Immediately pour the mixture into the pan and place it in the static oven at mid-height for about 25 – 30 minutes, depending on the type of your oven.
To check for complete baking, pierce the hazelnut cake with a long skewer which should come out dry.
Turn off and immediately remove the cake from the oven. Let it settle for about 60 minutes, then we can take it out of the pan and place it on a serving plate.
We can enjoy it as it is, with a dusting of bitter cocoa on top; or decorate it, as I did.
Decoration
Whip the cold cream from the fridge to stiff peaks, adding grated orange zest if you like.
Brush a tiny amount of whipped cream on the cake’s surface (this way, the hazelnut granules won’t slide off) and decorate the cake with tufts of cream and plenty of hazelnut granules.
Extra idea. Besides the vanilla, as provided in the original recipe, we can flavor the hazelnut cake with a teaspoon of “Strega” liqueur to be added to the melted butter; or finely grated orange and lemon zest, or cinnamon powder to be added to the eggs and sugar while they are being whipped into cream.
Bon appetit
