Description
This flourless chocolate-hazelnut cake is pure decadence—rich, fudgy, and infused with the deep, toasty essence of hazelnuts. The magic happens when dark chocolate melts into ground hazelnuts, creating a luscious, almost truffle-like texture. And to top it all off? A cloud of lightly sweetened whipped cream, kissed with a hint of chocolate hazelnut, for a truly irresistible finish.
Ingredients
Scale
(Slightly adapted ‘Flourless Chocolate Cake’ recipe from the-always-wonderful 101 Cookbooks)
For the cake:
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, divided
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 large eggs, room temperature, separated
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons Nutella
To serve: Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare the hazelnuts: If using raw hazelnuts, toast them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Once cool, rub them in a towel to remove loose skins. Grind finely in a food processor.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Place 8 ounces of the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted, being careful not to overheat. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in the olive oil, ½ cup sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons of ground hazelnuts. Reserve any remaining hazelnuts for sprinkling over the cake before serving.
- Let the mixture cool slightly (so you do not scramble the egg yolks) and when cool to the touch, whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the remaining chocolate.
- In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup of sugar, about 1 large spoonful at a time, while continuing to whip. Continue whipping until the egg whites are glossy and soft peaks form. (see tips below)
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about ⅓ of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to help loosen. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in 2-3 additions, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Continue folding until almost no streaks remain. (It is ok if a few remain.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. For an 8-inch pan, bake for about 40 minutes, or until the center is just set. For a 9-inch pan, bake for about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan.
- While the cake is baking, make the whipped cream: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream until it just starts to form very soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and Nutella. Continue beating, until soft peaks form, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Top the cake with whipped cream. Serve any remaining cream on the side.
- Dust the top of the cake with ground hazelnuts and cocoa powder if desired. Serve with a smile!
Notes
- Tips for beating the egg whites:
- Use room-temperature egg whites for better volume.
- Avoid fat or yolk contamination—even a small amount can prevent whipping.
- Add sugar slowly to avoid deflating the foam.
- Hazelnut substitution: You can substitute the hazelnuts with almonds or walnuts, though the flavor will vary.
- Tips for making the whipped cream:
- Make sure the cream is very cold. Do not remove from the refrigerator before using it. You can also chill the bowl and beaters to ensure everything is cold.
- To make the whipped cream in advance: You can make the whipped cream in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, give it a quick whisk by hand or with a mixer to restore its fluffy texture.