CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE

PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS + COOLING SERVES 8

150g unsalted butter, chopped

150g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely

5 eggs, separated

2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar

1½ cups (150g) hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)

1/3 cup (45g) roasted hazelnuts, chopped coarsely

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream

100g dark eating chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper. 2 Combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan; stir over low heat for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale; beat in cooled chocolate mixture. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold hazelnut meal into chocolate mixture, then fold in egg white, in two batches. Spoon mixture into pan; bake for 1½ hours or until tested with a skewer.

4 Cool cake in pan. Turn cake, top-side down, onto a serving plate. 5 Meanwhile, make chocolate ganache.

6 Spread cake with ganache; top with nuts.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat for 2 minutes or until just simmering. Remove from heat, add chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool for 5 minutes before using.