¼cupunsalted butter, room temp, cut into tablespoons
3large eggs, separated
½cupNutella hazelnut spread, or any chocolate hazelnut spread
⅓cupground toasted hazelnuts*
1TablespoonFrangelico(hazelnut liqueur)
¼teaspoonfine sea salt
additional toasted hazelnut, chopped for garnish
chopped dark chocolate, for garnish
Chocolate Glaze:
4ozdark chocolate (72%), chopped
4ozheavy cream
1Tablespoonunsalted butter
pinch fine sea salt
2teaspoonFrangelico(optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly butter two 4½- inch springform cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at half power (50%) for 20 second intervals until melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in between intervals to ensure even melting. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, Nutella, ground hazelnuts, and Frangelico. Mix until smooth. Add melted chocolate mixture and fold to combine.
In a medium bowl, add egg whites and salt. Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Add ⅓ of egg whites to large bowl with chocolate mixture. Fold to combine. Add another ⅓ of egg whites and fold to combine. Repeat with remaining ⅓. Fold until there are no longer any egg white streaks.
Divide cake batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake has puffed up and the tops of the cake have cracks. Insert a toothpick in center of cake to test for doneness. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmolding. Allow to cool on wire racks.
Chocolate Glaze:
Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Add butter and cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for one minute.
Remove plastic wrap and stir ganache until homogenous. Add a pinch of salt and optional Frangelico. Stir until incorporated. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow glaze to cool and thicken.
Pour glaze over cooled cake. Garnish cake with chopped toasted hazelnuts and chopped chocolate.
Notes
* To make ground hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350℉. Toast hazelnuts in oven for 8-12 minutes until the skins begin to separate from the nut. Rub the warm hazelnuts in a clean dish towel to remove the skins. Let hazelnuts cool to room temperature. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts until ground.Store finished glazed cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.