Gluten-free: flourless and yeast-free dark chocolate hazelnut cake that melts in your mouth, reminiscent of hazelnut chocolates. Very different from the classic chocolate cake, this dessert is more similar to the chocolate and pear tenerina cake, as it has a characteristic crispy crust on the outside while remaining slightly moist inside.
The chocolate and hazelnut cake recipe calls for only a few simple basic ingredients: eggs, sugar, butter, dark chocolate, and hazelnuts. As you can see, it is flourless and doesn’t use any yeast, yet it remains very soft and tends to crumble, so it is best to unmold it just before serving.
You know what else I love about this cake? The weight of the ingredients: they are all 200 grams, so once you’ve learned the process, you hardly need to check the recipe, and in no time, you’ll be ready to bake. Now that we are approaching the Christmas holidays, I would say that the hazelnut and chocolate cake is perfect for special evenings. I just suggest you try it with me because it is surprisingly delicious; I’m sure you’ll love it!
ALSO TRY:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 646.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 39.15 (g) of which sugars 29.07 (g)
- Proteins 10.64 (g)
- Fat 51.70 (g) of which saturated 23.74 (g)of which unsaturated 26.72 (g)
- Fibers 6.50 (g)
- Sodium 42.28 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 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 (chopped)
- 7 oz dark chocolate
- 7 oz butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- as needed powdered sugar (gluten-free for celiacs)
Tools
To make this cake, you’ll need a springform pan with a diameter of 9-9.5 inches.
- Pan springform
- Pot for double boiler
Recipe
Break the dark chocolate into pieces and melt it in a double boiler pot. Remove from heat and add the butter, cut into pieces and softened to room temperature (take it out of the fridge before you start making the cake), stirring until completely melted.
Transfer the chocolate to a bowl, add the sugar and finely chopped toasted hazelnuts, then mix all the ingredients. Now add the whole eggs one at a time, not adding the next until the previous one is fully incorporated.
Line a 9-9.5 inch diameter springform pan with parchment paper and pour the mixture inside, then bake in a preheated static oven for 45 minutes at 350°F (be careful, depending on the oven, a temperature of 340°F might be sufficient), the cake should remain soft inside.
The flourless hazelnut and chocolate cake is a delicious dessert, with a crispy crust on the outside and moist on the inside. It has an unmistakable flavor and is perfect for the gluten intolerant; it melts in your mouth, like eating a chocolate! In conclusion, it is truly a real treat.
Storage and Tips
Storage: the cake keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days when covered with a glass dome.
Tips: it’s better to finely chop the hazelnuts; you can also make them into a coarse meal, but in the cake, their presence is more noticeable and less pleasant when eating.
It is recommended to leave the cake in the pan until serving because it is very delicate and tends to break, the less you move it, the better. In this regard, if you have a springform pan with transport cover, you can easily take it to friends and family without risking damage.
To conclude, if you are gluten intolerant, garnish the cake with gluten-free powdered sugar, or you can omit it.
