Ingredients
12 ounces toasted hazelnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 egg yolks
10 tablespoons sugar
6 egg whites
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts, for garnish
Directions
To toast hazelnuts:
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Layer hazelnuts in one layer in baking pan. Toast on the middle rack of oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Hazelnuts should be lightly browned and skins blistered.
- Wrap the nuts in a towel while still warm to steam for 1 minute. remove loose skins by rubbing nuts in the towel. Cool completely.
To make cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a grinder, crush toasted hazelnuts until very fine. Toss hazelnuts with baking powder. Set aside.
- Beat egg yolks and sugar until a light yellow color. Add the ground hazelnut mixture.
- Whisk egg whites until stiff using a clean bowl. Gently blend in 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Blend in the remaining egg whites until well mixed.
- Transfer mixture into springform pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Cake should spring back when touched lightly. Cool on wire rack.
- Slice cake horizontally into 3 layers. With electric mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks form; layer whipped cream between layers, across the top and sides of cake. Top with chopped hazelnuts.
Makes 1 9-inch 3-layer cake.
