Sinful Gluten Free Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Family dinner Sunday called for a new creation once again. Didn’t have time to shop so this is what I came up with using ingredients I already had at home. I found the original recipe on Epicurious.com, the link is here http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Hazelnut-Pound-Cake-with-Chocolate-Glaze-14008.  There were complaints about the cake being dry but the version I have below was anything but! I made some changes so that it could be gluten free which I’m sure my friends in the nutrition field (namingly one of my best friends, Amanda) would appreciate. I also created my own glaze to complement the unique hazelnut flavor in the cake, and I think I succeeded because even my brother (he doesn’t do cake) asked for seconds! Please give this a try whether you can or cannot have gluten because it is super rich and light at the same time (hard to explain but absolutely true).

Gluten Free Hazelnut Cake

Yield: 1 Bundt Cake

Tools: stationary or hand mixer, extra mixing bowls, rubber scraper

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups	200 grams	Hazelnut Flour, toasted
2 sticks	227 grams	Butter
½ cup	100 grams	Sugar
Pinch	1 gram	Salt
8 each	176 grams	Egg Yolks
1 1/3 cup	227 grams	Chocolate Chips
8 each	264 grams	Egg Whites
½ cup	100 grams	Sugar

Method of Preparation:

1.        Preheat oven to 325^oF. Grease Bundt pan well.

2.        Toast hazelnut flour until golden, allow time for carryover cooking.

3.        Increase oven temperature to 350^oF.

4.        Cream butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed with a paddle for 3 minutes.

5.        Scrape down sides.

6.        Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or on a double boiler.

 

7.        Add egg yolks two at a time to the butter on medium speed, scraping the sides when needed.

8.        Add melted chocolate and mix on medium speed for one minute.

 

9.        Add toasted hazelnut flour, mix until combined and then scrape the contents into a separate large mixing bowl.

10.    Clean mixing bowl really well and then add egg whites. Whip with whip attachment on highest speed until frothy. Reign in sugar slowly and then whip to an almost stiff peak.

 

11.    Fold whipped whites into batter a quarter at a time. Mixing until streaky with each addition and then fully incorporating the last addition. Be careful not to fold vigorously to keep the batter light.

12.    Fill pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

13.    Allow to cool fully before you de-pan the cake onto a cake plate.

 

 Chocolate Praline Glaze
**You can substitute praline paste with Nutella or peanut butter(doesn't go too well with hazelnut so you may want to swith to almond flour above as a substitute for hazelnut flour). OMG that would be like a gluten free Reese's-like cake, mouth is currently watering :)

Yield: 1 cup/ 300 grams

Tools: small whisk, small sauce pot

Ingredients:

½ stick	56 grams	Butter
1 cup	170 grams	Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup	70 grams	Praline Paste

Method of Preparation:

1.        Whisk ingredients in a small saucepan until melted and smooth.

2.        Pour over the highest point all around the Bundt cake and allow glaze to drip down the sides.

3.        Dust with powdered sugar when cool if desired.