HAZELNUT CAKE WITH ONLY 4 INGREDIENTS WITHOUT BUTTER
A truly accessible Hazelnut Cake recipe, easy and quick to prepare, requiring only 4 ingredients.
I’ve nicknamed it Hazelnut Cake WITHOUT because it does not contain flour, making it suitable for those intolerant to gluten, does not contain yeast, is without oil or butter, but despite this, it is a delicious sweet with a slightly moist, almost buttery consistency. And if you want to make it lactose-free, you just need to buy lactose-free ricotta!
Preparing this Hazelnut Cake is really simple: separate the yolks from the whites and separately whisk them with sugar, add ricotta and chopped hazelnuts to the yolks, incorporate the beaten egg whites, and bake. You can use hazelnuts (crushed into a flour-like consistency) or directly hazelnut flour.
You’ll see how, despite the absence of yeast and fats, this cake will have a soft and fluffy consistency like a cloud, thanks to the beaten egg whites, yet slightly moist, melting in your mouth.
Obviously, the hazelnut flavor is pronounced, but not cloying. I preferred not to add any aroma to leave the natural taste of hazelnuts, but you can add vanilla or lemon aromas to the mixture.
A HAZELNUT CAKE easy and quick, suitable for everyone because it is gluten-free, fat-free, and optionally lactose-free (if made with lactose-free ricotta), perfect for breakfast or a snack, having nothing to envy from the Piedmont Hazelnut Cake.
If you love hazelnuts, check out these recipes
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: springform pan diameter 9/9.5 inches
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Fall, Winter
- Energy 323.95 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 22.94 (g) of which sugars 18.13 (g)
- Proteins 11.21 (g)
- Fat 22.63 (g) of which saturated 4.62 (g)of which unsaturated 17.07 (g)
- Fibers 2.51 (g)
- Sodium 67.39 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 7 oz toasted hazelnuts (or 5.3 oz hazelnut flour + 1.8 oz hazelnut granules)
- 10 oz ricotta (for lactose-free version use lactose-free ricotta)
- 3 eggs (medium-sized whole)
- 4.2 oz sugar
Tools
- Bowl
- Springform Pan
- Electric Whisk
- Spatula
Steps
Blend the toasted hazelnuts in the mixer with 2.1 oz of sugar (taken from the total in the recipe) until you get a rather coarse flour. Alternatively, you can use hazelnut flour (5.3 oz) mixed with hazelnut granules (1.8 oz) because the consistency should not be too fine.
Separate the yolks from the egg whites, first beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric whisk (it will take about 5 minutes). Clean the whisks and beat the yolks with the remaining sugar in another bowl for at least 4 minutes; they should become light and fluffy. Add the beaten yolks to the ricotta and incorporate with a spatula to avoid deflating the mixture.
Add all the chopped hazelnuts to the yolks and ricotta and mix well with a spoon. Finally, gradually incorporate the beaten egg whites, mixing gently with the spatula. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch diameter springform pan, previously greased (to keep it gluten-free, ‘flour’ it with Rice Flour or Cornstarch). Sprinkle the surface with hazelnut granules.
Bake in a fan oven at 320°F for 50 minutes. In this case, the toothpick test is not necessary because the cake will remain moist inside. After the time is up, leave the cake in the slightly open turned-off oven (you can put a spoon between the oven door and the oven) for another 5 minutes. Take out the Hazelnut Cake and let it cool completely before serving.
NOTES
HAZELNUTS: Blend the hazelnuts just long enough to achieve a coarse consistency. Leave them in the mixer for only a few seconds; otherwise, over-processing them will release their oil, turning the flour into a paste.
EGGS: It is important that the eggs are at room temperature and that the yolks are well-beaten given the absence of leavening agents in the recipe.
RICOTTA: The ricotta should also be at room temperature. To make a lactose-free Hazelnut Cake, purchase lactose-free ricotta.
VARIATIONS
Using the same procedure and quantities, you can replace hazelnuts with walnuts to make a Walnut Cake, almonds for a delicate Almond Cake, or pistachios for a colorful and delicious Pistachio Cake.
If you want to make it even more delicious, you can decorate it with a chocolate coating (for the lactose-free version, use only dark chocolate) by simply melting the chocolate in a double boiler and pouring it over the cake.
You can choose to have a taller Hazelnut Cake using a 9-inch diameter mold or a thinner one, which will be less moist and a bit more ‘crunchy,’ using a 10-inch diameter cake pan.
STORAGE
Once ready, the Hazelnut Cake can be stored in a cool, dry place, closed in a container or under a cake dome for at least 3 days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is the most prized type of Hazelnut?
The Langhe hazelnut (or Hazelnut Piemonte I.G.P.), is considered the best hazelnut for its characteristics, properties, and aesthetics, and is one of the most well-known and used varieties in confectionery.
