Gluten-Free Hazelnut Torte
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Serves: makes 2 9-inch cakes, 8 servings each
 
Ingredients
For the cake:
  • 12 ounces (by weight, or about 2½ cups) hazelnuts, roasted and skinned, plus more for garnish*
  • 2 tsp. Baking powder
  • 6 large eggs, separated, plus 1 whole egg
  • ½ cup + 2 TBSP granulated sugar, plus more for coating the pan
  • 2 TBSP frangelico liqour (or other flavored liqour, such as amaratto or kahlua, or you can leave it out and use 1-2 tsp. Vanilla extract instead)
Fresh whipped cream:
  • 1 cup heavy cream, or double cream
  • 1-2 TBSP granulated sugar, to taste
  • 1 tsp. good quality pure vanilla extract
Chocolate ganache:
  • 3 oz. (by weight, or about ½ cup) dark chocolate, chopped or in chip form
  • ¾ cup heavy cream, or double cream
Instructions
For the cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease either two 9 inch pans, or one 9 inch springofrm pan, and add a couple TBSP of granulated sugar. Roll the pan(s) around, so that the sugar coats the bottom and sides evenly. Tap out any excess sugar.
  2. In a food processor, pulse together the hazelnuts and baking powder until the nuts are very finely ground. Do not over-blend them, or they'll turn into nut-butter. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the egg whites. Once they start to become frothy, gradually add the 2 TBSP granulated sugar, and continue mixing until they have reached medium-stiff peaks.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and whole egg with the remaining ½ cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the liquor (or vanilla extract) and ground hazelnut mixture, and stir until fully combined.
  5. Using a flexible rubber spatula, fold ⅓ of the eggwhites into the hazelnut and egg yolk mixture. Repeat until all of the eggwhites are incorporated, folding gently until there are no lumps or streaks of eggwhites remaining in the batter.
  6. Pour into the prepared pan(s), and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes (if using two 9-inch pans) or for 50-60 minutes (if using one 9-inch springform pan), or until the edges of the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center of the cake bounces back every so slightly when gently touched.
  7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. If using two cake pans, you can serve each cake individually, or stack them to create a layered dessert. If you made one 9-inch springform pan, you can cut the cake horizontally into two layers (or three thin layers) and fill with whipped cream.
  8. Cake can be made in advance, cooled, wrapped in plastic, and kept at room temperature for up to three days. Serve cake with whipped cream, chocolate ganache, and a handful of freshly chopped hazelnuts on top.
For the whipped cream:
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and whisk (or beat with a hand or stand mixer, or put in a jar and shake) until light and fluffy. Do not over-mix. (Make this right when you are ready to serve.)
For the ganache:
  1. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming (do not let it boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and stir until completely smooth and shiny. Ganache can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to the expiration date of the cream. It will become thick like frosting once cooled, and can be rewarmed over low heat, or in ten-second increments in the microwave, until fluid again.
Notes
*you can find my tutorial on how to skin and roast hazelnuts, here.


A torte is typically a layered dessert, but I prefer to serve this cake in a single layer. You can do as I do, or layer the cakes with whipped cream in between (just be sure to do this right before serving, so the whipped cream is fresh).

Recipe only slightly adapted from this Hungarian Hazelnut Torte from AllRecipes.com
Recipe by Will Cook For Friends at https://www.willcookforfriends.com/2016/02/gluten-free-hazelnut-torte.html