Italian hazelnut cake

Here’s Rachel Allen’s Italian Hazelnut cake that I made.  It was a hit!  Very tasty, nutty and light, perfect treat for afters

Ingredients:

• 200g (7oz) hazelnuts (skins on)
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 100g butter, softened
• 5 eggs, separated
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

 You will need 20cm (8in) diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed tin

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven 170 degrees.
2. Butter and line sides and base of cake tin with greaseproof paper
3. Grind hazelnuts with baking powder and cinnamon in food processor until fine.
4. Add the butter and combine
5. Place egg yolks in the bowl of an electric food mixer or use a hand held electric beater. 
6. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture becomes slightly “moussey” and the mix holds a trail when you lift the beater. 
7. Add the hazelnut mixture and the vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
8. Whisk the egg whites and salt together in a large, spotlessly clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the nut mixture in three stages so as not to deflate the whites.
9. Here, I added into some chocolate chips also.
10. Pour mix into prepared tin, bake 55-70mins or until the cake feels firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
11. Allow to cool in tin for 15mins.  Then very gently ease the sides of the cake out of the tin using a palette knife.  Remove the base after another 15mins and leave to cook before cutting into slices.

Note: The mixture is quite delicate so don’t be tempted to open oven until close to the end of cooking time.