Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines' Day!  Here is another great chocolate cake recipe. It is made with hazelnuts powder and hazelnuts so it has a delicious nutty flavor.

The cake has 3 parts, a light crunchy bottom topped with a thin layer of Nutella then the chocolate cake on top and finished with chocolate ganache.

You can bake this cake using a pound cake pan.



30 grams flour
1.       In a food processor, add the hazelnuts powder, flour and powdered sugar and mix. Add the butter and mix and then add the egg.
2.       Spread the batter on a baking sheet about 20 cm x 20 cm square. Use a spoon to smooth the mixture evenly. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.


40 grams cocoa mass
75 grams flour
100 grams powdered sugar
100 grams hazelnuts powder
30 grams hazelnuts (finely chopped)
40 grams butter
200 grams egg white
50 grams sugar

1.       In a saucepan, heat the butter until it become bubbly and turns a golden brown color. Do not overcook. Strain the butter into a bowl to remove the sediment and let cool for 5 minutes then pour over the cocoa mass.  Use a spatula to mix. Put the bowl over hot simmering water to melt the cocoa mass completely if needed.
2.       Sift together the flour, powdered sugar, and hazelnuts powder.
3.       In a bowl, whip the egg whites and add the sugar in portions.
4.       Add the cocoa mass to the egg white in portions. Mix with a spatula. Add the flour mixture to the egg whites and mix with a spatula. Lastly, add the chopped hazelnuts.
5.       Pour into a lined baking pan and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache:
120 grams sweet chocolate (chopped)
15 grams corn syrup
100 grams fresh cream

1. Heat the cream and the corn syrup in a saucepan until it is lightly boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and mix with a small whisk.
2. Let cool until the texture becomes like pudding. Either decorate the cake with a knife or put the ganache in a pastry bag with a decorative nozzle to decorate.

Putting Together:
1. Cut the crunchy cookie the same size as the cake bottom. Spread a light layer of nutella on the cookie and place the cake on top. Decorate the cake with the chocolate ganache.