Hazelnut Loaf Cake

Before starting this Hazelnut Cake recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

For the hazelnut ganache (make the day before): Pour the whipping cream in a saucepan.

In a separate bowl, place the gianduja chocolate paste cut into cubes and the hazelnut paste.

When the cream starts boiling...

... pour it over the chocolate and hazelnut paste.

Mix the preparation with a Bamix hand blender...

... until smooth and homogeneous.

When the preparation is smooth...

... cover the surface with cling film. Store in the fridge.

For the cake batter: Organise the necessary ingredients.

In the stand mixer recipient, place the ground hazelnut, brown sugar and icing sugar.

Place the bowl in the mixer and combine the ingredients with the flat beater.

Gradually add the egg whites...

... the egg yolks...

... until you obtain a dough that is quite chunky and sticky.

Add the salt.

Combine the flour and baking powder together...

... and sift these two ingredients over the dough.

Melt the butter in the microwave.

Knead the dough in the stand mixer...

... while gradually adding the butter.

Combine until the dough is smooth and homogeneous.

Stop the mixer and remove the flat beater. Transfer the dough into another bowl and set aside.

Clean the stand mixer bowl and tip the egg whites. Start whisking until firm...

... then add the castor sugar and continue beating until stiff.

The meringue is now ready.

Add the meringue to the hazelnut batter...

... and fold gently with a rubber spatula...

... until homogeneous.

Grease two Exopan cake pans with an oil spray. The quantities listed above allow you to make two loaf cakes.

Divide the preparation in half and fill both moulds.

Place the moulds on a perforated baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for about 45 minutes.

The cakes should rise and take a nice golden colour.

When cooked, remove from the oven.

Release the cakes from the mould while they are still warm.

Leave to cool on a rack.

For the caramelized hazelnuts: In a non-stick frying pan, place the hazelnuts and sprinkle with icing sugar.

The icing sugar will gradually turn into a syrup, then a caramel.

After a few minutes, the hazelnuts should be coated with caramel. When the sugar is completely melted and incorporated...

... transfer the caramelized hazelnuts on a sheet of greaseproof paper.

While they are still hot, separate the hazelnuts. Leave to cool.

Ideally, the chocolate ganache should be firm and cold (make the day before). You can follow the recipe of our traditional chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in the stand mixer recipient...

... and whip to give a smooth, fluffy consistency to the ganache.

Transfer the whipped ganache into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (diameter 10mm). Pipe the chocolate ganache into parallel laces...

... on the surface of the cake.

Scatter a few caramelized hazelnuts over the surface of the chocolate ganache to finish the decoration. You cut a few hazelnuts in half and arrange whole and halved hazelnuts for an original decoration.

With the tip of a knife or decorating tweezers, place small pieces of gold leaf on the surface. Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.