Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Ingredients

• 200 g hazelnuts
• 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 180 g white sugar
• 150 g butter, softened
• 3 egg
• 80 g wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• powdered sugar to taste

Method

1. 1.

   Toast and skin the hazelnuts — Toast the hazelnuts in the oven at 180°C for 8–10 minutes until fragrant and the skins crack, then rub off the skins in a clean towel and let cool.

2. 2.

   Melt the chocolate and butter — Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly.

3. 3.

   Grind the hazelnuts — Pulse the cooled hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground but not oily, keeping a little texture for crunch.

4. 4.

   Whisk eggs and fold in chocolate — Whisk the eggs with the white sugar and vanilla extract until pale and doubled in volume, then gently fold in the melted chocolate mixture.

5. 5.

   Fold in flour and hazelnuts — Sift the wheat flour, baking powder and salt over the batter, then fold in the ground hazelnuts until just combined.

6. 6.

   Bake the torte — Pour the batter into a greased and lined 24 cm springform pan and bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7. 7.

   Cool, dust and slice — Let the torte cool completely in the pan, then unmould, dust generously with powdered sugar and slice to serve.