Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

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I wanted to make some kind of chocolate cake, and having looked through cookery books and folders I found this recipe which came from one of my neighbours in France. Four of us, all neighbours, took it in turn to host afternoon tea - the French ladies thought it was a great idea. This was one of Reneé's offerings.
I love anything made with nuts, especially hazelnuts, and it's another easy cake to make. I decided to make it in a bundt tin.

Grease a bundt mould or cake tin and preheat oven 180C/gas4

In a bowl over simmering water, melt 150g butter and 150g dark chocolate. Take bowl off and add 4 egg yolks, 175g caster sugar, 80g ground hazelnuts, 100g plain flour, 50g dark chocolate chopped up and a pinch of salt.
Beat the 4 egg whites till stiff and fold into the mixture.
Spoon into the tin and bake for 50mins. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

For the icing:
Chop 100g dark chocolate and melt it over water with 50g of butter. Pour it over the warm cake and leave to set.









One trick I learnt was to put the chocolate bar in a poly bag and tap it with a rolling pin to break it up. I usually end up with bits of chocolate everywhere!

The cake has a great chocolate flavour, and you can really taste the hazelnuts. The chunks of chocolate had just about kept their texture, but then melted in your mouth. I like the easy way you decorate it - no faffing with glacé icing or buttercream - just pour the chocolate over.

Comments

Suelle said…
Great flavour combination! The frosting may be simple, but it's very effective.
10/9/14 2:49 pm
Phil in the Kitchen said…
Hazelnuts and chocolate are just a perfect combination for me. Yum. Seriously yum.
12/9/14 1:54 pm
The Caked Crusader said…
Lovely looking cake - the glaze is so glossy and inviting!
15/9/14 11:31 am
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