Earlier this week when a friend was coming to dinner who prefers a gluten-free menu, I was delighted to remember this old favorite from Nigella's book, How to be a Domestic Goddess. I don't profess to be a "Domestic Goddess, " however, this is a delicious and very appealing cake, even for those of us who don't eschew gluten. Furthermore, it's very easy and positively bursting with chocolate and hazelnuts....I mean, really, what's not to love?
Torta Alla Gianduia
serves 8
for the cake:
6 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
14 ounces Nutella
1 tablespoon Frangelico
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts ( I use that wonderful Bob Mills hazelnut flour)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
for the icing:
4 ounces hazelnuts (peeled weight)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Frangelico
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9-inch springform panby liberally greasing it and lining it with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and nutella together and then add the Frangelico, egg yolks and hazelnut flour. Fold in the cooled, melted chocolate, then mix in a large dollop of the egg white which you may throughly mix in before gently foldingthe rest of the egg whites in a third at a time.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and cook for 40 minutes or until the cake's beginning to come away at the sides. Cool on a rack.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until the skins start to flake off. Keep shaking the pan so that they are evenly browned. Put them on a clean kitchen towel and rub them together and the skins should come right off. Let them cool thoroughly before using them to decorate the cake.
To make the ganache, in a heavy saucepan, add the cream, Frangelico, and chopped chocolate and heat gently. Once the chocolate is melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk until it reaches the right consistency to ice the top of the cake. Unmold the cooled cake carefully, leaving it on the base as it's too gooey to come off in one piece. Ice the top with the chocolate icing, and dot with the whole, toasted hazelnuts.