Chocolate Hazelnut Teacake Recipes

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Generously grease an 8 inch round cake pan (can use a 9 inch round cake pan if that's what you have) with butter. Coat the pan with some gluten free flour blend to prevent sticking.
• Place 1/2 cup of unsalted hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground. Alternately, you can place the hazelnuts in a plastic Ziploc bag and pound with a rolling pin if you don't have a food processor.
• In a mixing bowl, combine 1 scant cup gluten free flour blend (this equals 120 grams and can be measured with a kitchen scale), ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts, 2 tsp. baking powder, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt. Mix all of these ingredients together.
• In a separate bowl, cream 4 Tbsp. of room temperature unsalted butter and 1 cup of sugar using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add 2 eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy after each egg is added.
• Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time. Add some of the flour, mix together, and repeat until it is completely combined. The batter is thick and dense.
• Spread the batter evenly in pan and bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clear. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
• Brew one cup of coffee or espresso and allow to cool.
• Heat a small amount of water in a double boiler (the water should be hot, but not boiling). Place 2 oz. of semisweet baking chocolate in the boiler and allow to melt, stirring the chocolate with a spatula to prevent burning.
• Add 1 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter to the chocolate and stir until the butter has melted and incorporated into the chocolate. Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and allow to cool.
• Once the chocolate has cooled, beat the mixture with a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer until smooth. This may take a few minutes.
• Add 2 Tbsp. of cooled coffee and 1 Tbsp. Frangelico liqueur to the mixture. Continue to beat with a mixer until it is spreadable.
• Remove cake from pan and place on a cake platter or large plate (you may need to run knife along sides of pan to remove). Spread the chocolate frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake.
• Add 1/2 cup roughly chopped unsalted hazelnuts on top of the cake.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the springform pan by coating it in a thin layer with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Add the cocoa powder to the pan and tap the sides to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Discard any excess cocoa powder. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven on the center rack until just fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a kitchen towel to stop them from cooking. Use the towel to rub off the skins. Set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fill a 1- to 2-quart pot with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat. Place the dark chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl and set it over the pot and simmering water (this is a bain-marie). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Let the chocolate melt, and then stir gently. Remove from the heat when melted.
• Chop the hazelnuts into small pieces using a chef's knife or a food processor. Make sure you don't turn them into powder. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer with the salt until they are almost at stiff peaks. Try not to over-whip. Mix together the remaining 5 tablespoons butter with the chocolate hazelnut spread in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the espresso. Add the yolks and stir briskly to combine. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and melted chocolate. Add one-fourth of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate hazelnut mixture and stir to lighten the batter. Then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions. Don't over-fold. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake on the center rack of the oven until the sides of the cake start releasing from edges of the pan, 40 minutes. This cake is almost a hazelnut fudge, so no need to poke with a toothpick to check if the inside is ready or not. The cake will come out of the oven nice and fluffy and souffled, but it will deflate to half the size during its cool-off period. Serve garnished with some powdered sugar and whipped or cream or gelato, if using.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place all but 6 of the chocolate cookies in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse the cookies in the food processor until finely ground.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground cookies and melted butter and mix to combine. Spread the crushed cookie mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, using the bottom of a metal measuring cup to press into an even layer. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• In a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese until softened, about 1 minute. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and confectioners' sugar and mix on medium-high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in the whipped topping using a rubber spatula. Transfer to the springform pan. Use a spatula to smooth the mixture in the pan. Top with the chopped hazelnuts. Break 3 of the reserved cookies and press them into the center of the cake, cut-side down, in a starburst shape. Break the remaining cookies into chunks and sprinkle them over the cake. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Unclasp and remove the side of the pan, then cut the cake with a knife dipped in hot water and serve.