Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Food

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water.
• Whisk eggs, golden brown sugar, and 1/4 cup Frangelico in large bowl to blend. Add chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in ground hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Place in oven and tent springform pan loosely with foil. Bake until cake is set in center and top is dry to touch, about 1 1/2 hours (top of cake will remain shiny). Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil from top and outside of pan. Cool cake in pan on rack. Chill cake until cold, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup Frangelico in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Cut cake into wedges. Transfer to plates. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

FLOURLESS HAZELNUT AND DARK CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment.
• Finely grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until they reach a coarse, sandy consistency.
• Either in the microwave or in a double boiler over hot water, melt the chocolate with the oil and butter, stirring together to form a homogenous mixture. Set aside in a warm place.
• With a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt to soft peaks and set aside. Switch to the paddle attachment and, in a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugars, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until
• thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the
• chocolate and butter mixture, then the cocoa powder. Fold in the whipped egg whites until smooth.
• Pour into a greased and parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, just until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the springform pan by coating it in a thin layer with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Add the cocoa powder to the pan and tap the sides to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Discard any excess cocoa powder. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven on the center rack until just fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a kitchen towel to stop them from cooking. Use the towel to rub off the skins. Set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fill a 1- to 2-quart pot with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat. Place the dark chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl and set it over the pot and simmering water (this is a bain-marie). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Let the chocolate melt, and then stir gently. Remove from the heat when melted.
• Chop the hazelnuts into small pieces using a chef's knife or a food processor. Make sure you don't turn them into powder. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer with the salt until they are almost at stiff peaks. Try not to over-whip. Mix together the remaining 5 tablespoons butter with the chocolate hazelnut spread in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the espresso. Add the yolks and stir briskly to combine. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and melted chocolate. Add one-fourth of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate hazelnut mixture and stir to lighten the batter. Then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions. Don't over-fold. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake on the center rack of the oven until the sides of the cake start releasing from edges of the pan, 40 minutes. This cake is almost a hazelnut fudge, so no need to poke with a toothpick to check if the inside is ready or not. The cake will come out of the oven nice and fluffy and souffled, but it will deflate to half the size during its cool-off period. Serve garnished with some powdered sugar and whipped or cream or gelato, if using.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• For cake, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
• Grind toasted hazelnuts in food processor until very finely chopped.
• Stir in baking powder and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until pale in color.
• Mix in ground hazelnuts, Kahlua and melted chocolate.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
• Quickly fold 1/3 of the egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten the mixture.
• Then add remaining whites and fold until no white streaks remain.
• Pour into springform pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until top of cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Cool on wire rack.
• When cake is cool, slice horizontally into 2 layers.
• Drizzle each cut side with 1 tbsp Kahlua.
• To make frosting, dissolve coffee in boiling water.
• Set aside.
• Melt chips in microwave oven, stir until smooth.
• Set aside.
• In medium bowl, combine butter and eggs, beat until creamy.
• Beat in melted chips and coffee, mixing until well blended.
• Spread generously between layers, down the sides and on the top of the cake.

FLOURLESS HAZELNUT MASCAPONE CHOCOLATE CAKE (GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• If you are using whole hazelnuts, preheat the oven or oven toaster to 350ºF/180ºC. If you are using hazelnut meal, skip to step 4.
• Toast the whole hazelnuts for about 10 minutes until fragrant. Set aside and cool.
• Place the cooled hazelnuts in a food processor and grind to make hazelnut meal. Do not over-process. If you do, it will turn into nut butter.
• In a small pan, melt butter and chocolate under very low heat.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Spray oil inside a 9-inch springform pan.
• In a bowl, beat mascapone cheese until creamy. Add sugar and beat again.
• Add eggs and beat until creamy.
• Add the chocolate mixture, vanilla and liquor (if using) and mix well.
• Add hazelnut meal, salt, and cinnamon and mix well.
• Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes. Set aside and cool.
• When the cake is cooked, remove the pan and place the cake on a cake plate.
• Dust cocoa powder and powdered sugar using a stencil (see note above).
• Infuse love and serve with whipped cream and/or ice cream if desired.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round.
• Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil.
• Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water.
• Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth.
• Remove bowl from over water.
• Whisk eggs, golden brown sugar, and 1/4 cup Frangelico in large bowl to blend.
• Add chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Stir in ground hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Place springform pan in large roasting pan.
• Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.
• Place in oven and tent springform pan loosely with foil.
• Bake until cake is set in center and top is dry to touch, about 1 1/2 hours (top of cake will remain shiny).
• Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil from top and outside of pan.
• Cool cake in pan on rack.
• ***Chill cake until cold, about 3 hours.
• (DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead.
• Cover and keep chilled.).
• Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup Frangelico in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake.
• Release pan sides.
• Cut cake into wedges.
• Transfer to plates.
• Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
• ***Cook time does not include chill time.

FLOURLESS HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE (GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F/360°C degrees.
• Whip egg whites until a stiff peak forms. Set aside.
• In another bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar. Add the chocolate and butter mixture and mix.
• Mix in the hazelnut meal, cocoa powder, and liquor (if using) and mix.
• Fold in the egg whites and mix. Pour in a 7-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top using a small strainer.
• Infuse love, slice and serve!

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the base of a 25cm loose-bottomed tin. Melt 1 tbsp butter and brush the inside of the tin, then line the base with the parchment and brush again with more butter. Spoon in 2 tbsp caster sugar, swirl it around to coat the base and sides, then tip out any excess.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, remove from the heat, stir in the brandy and leave to cool. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick; fold into the chocolate with the hazelnuts.
• In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the whites until they reach a soft peak (try not to whisk them too stiffly or you'll have trouble folding them in). Stir a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the rest of them in 2 additions. Spoon into the prepared tin. Level, then arrange the pears over the mixture, cut-side down. Bake for 40 mins until the pears are soft and the cake is cooked all the way through. Leave to cool in the tin slightly before releasing it, then place on a rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE (GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan-forced. Grease a deep 20 cm round cake pan. Line base and sides of the pan with baking paper.
• Combine the butter and the chocolate in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until smooth and cool for 10 minutes.
• Beat the egg yolks and the caster sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale.
• Beat in the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks.
• Using a clean small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Fold the hazelnut meal into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites in two batches.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 1 ½ hours.
• Cool in pan. Turn cake, top side down onto a serving plate.
• Ganache- bring the cream to the bowl in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Stand 5 minutes before using.
• Spread the cake with the chocolate ganache to serve and top with chopped hazelnuts to serve.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• For brandied cherries:
• Combine brandy and dried cherries in 4-cup glass container with lid. Cover and let soak at room temperature 1 week.
• Bring 1 cup water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool syrup. Drain brandy from cherries (reserve brandy for another use). Add sugar syrup to cherries and stir to blend. Let soak at room temperature at least 2 days. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store covered at room temperature.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Place chocolate and 1 1/4 cups butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool to lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl until very thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gently fold chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold 1/3 of beaten whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes (cake will be puffed and soufflé-like while baking). Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes (cake will fall in center). Run knife around cake sides to loosen; press edge of cake down to make level with center. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
• For ganache:
• Combine chocolate and cream in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from over water; let stand until ganache cools slightly but is still pourable, about 5 minutes.
• Place cooled cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup ganache over top of cake. Using offset spatula, quickly spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Freeze cake 3 minutes. Pour remaining ganache over top of cake. Working quickly but gently and grasping pan bottom and rack together, slightly tilt rack with cake from side to side, allowing ganache to flow evenly over top and down sides of cake; smooth sides with offset spatula. Press hazelnuts onto sides of cake to adhere. Chill cake until ganache is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before serving.
• Cut cake into wedges. Garnish with whipped cream and spoon brandied cherries alongside.