Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Cake

Although Easter has just passed us by and we are all chocolated out, I reckon you can never have too much chocolate in your diet. This decadent dessert cake is flavoured with hazelnut meal and Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur. It’s gluten-free, which is welcome news for coeliacs and those who avoid gluten in their diet. This is a great dessert when entertaining, as it can be made way in advance and only needs slicing at serving time.  Serve it with fresh strawberries and cream and a glass of liqueur muscat.

Ingredients (serves 8-10):
200g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), chopped
2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
150g unsalted butter
100g (3/4 cup) hazelnut meal
5 eggs

To serve: icing sugar, fresh strawberries and cream

Equipment:
Electric Mixer
24cm spring-form cake tin, greased and lined with baking paper

Method (20 minutes prep + 40 minutes cooking time):
1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
2. Place the chocolate, Frangelico, sugar and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring that the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, stirring until the chocolate and butter melt, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add the hazelnut meal and mix well.
3. Separate the eggs. Lightly beat the yolks in a bowl with a fork. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with the electric mixer until soft peaks form.
4. Gradually add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture using the electric mixer and then gradually add the beaten egg whites, ensuring the mixture is well combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool cake in tin before removing, then store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
7. To serve, dust the cake with icing sugar, slice and serve with fresh strawberries and cream.