Hazelnut Torte
Flourless Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake
Published: April 30th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 24th, 2021
This Hazelnut Torte is a real crowd pleaser. It is rich, moist and full of nutty, chocolate-y goodness. Perfect for any special occasion.
Ingredients
Ganache
- 200g 70% dark chocolate
- 200g cream 35% fat
Torte
- 250g hazelnuts (almond also works)
- 250g dark chocolate 70%
- 225g butter at room temperature
- 150g caster sugar
- 120g egg yolks (from about 6 eggs)
French Meringue
- 50g caster sugar
- 200g egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
Topping
- 100g roasted hazelnuts (about 3/4 cup)
- 30g Crisp pearls
- Gold luster powder
Method
Ganache
Make the ganache first so it has time to cool to room temperature before adding it to the cake.
- If using a bar of chocolate, roughly chop it into small shards.
- Place the chocolate in a tall vessel.
- Heat the cream in a saucepan, constantly stirring over medium heat until it just starts to boil.
- Once bubbles appear around the edges, turn the heat off and allow the cream to sit for a 10 seconds.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate. Give the container a slight shake and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.
- Emulsify using a stick blender being careful not to introduce bubbles.
- Cover the surface of the ganache with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and line an 8 inch or 20cm diameter springform cake tin with baking paper.
Hazelnut and Chocolate Meal
Blitz the 250g hazelnuts in a food processor or blender in quick bursts to make a hazelnut flour or meal. Be careful not to blitz it for too long or it will start turning into a paste. Empty the hazelnut into a bowl.
Using the same technique, blitz the 250g dark chocolate into a fine crumb (like soil), being careful to not form a paste. Mix the chocolate with the hazelnut.
Batter
Cream the butter with the 150g of caster sugar using a hand mixer until the mixture is pale, and the sugar has dissolved.
Add the egg yolks to the creamed mixture a little at a time, blending at each addition to completely incorporate the yolks before adding more.
Gently fold in the chocolate and almond meal into creamed mixture until evenly combined.
French Meringue
Whip the 200g egg whites in a stand mixture. Once the mixture is foamy, sprinkle in the 50g sugar a bit at a time. Whip until the mixture reaches soft peaks.
Torte
Gently fold the meringue into the batter until evenly incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin and bake for one hour. The cake is done when it springs back after tapping the center of the cake.
Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before releasing it from the pan and before adding the ganache and topping.
Once the cake and ganache are at room temperature, release the cake from the pan, and remove the baking paper. Spread the ganache over the top of the cake.
Decoration
In a small ziplock bag, add the roasted hazelnuts, crisp pearls and a small amount of gold lustre powder. Seal the bag and shake to make golden hazelnuts and pearls. A little goes a long way with lustre powder, so add a little at a time. Sprinkle over the cake.
Special Equipment
- Food processor or blender to make hazelnut meal and chocolate flour
- Immersion blender for making a silky smooth ganache
- Hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar
- Stand mixer to whip the egg whites
- 8 inch or 20cm diameter spring form cake pan
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