Ingredients
- •170 g/6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- •170 g/6 oz plain chocolate, good quality
- •170 g/6 oz icing sugar
- •85 g/3 oz whole skin on almonds
- •85 g/3 oz whole skin on hazelnuts
- •25 g/1 oz potato starch
- •148 g/5 oz eggs whites
- •85 g/3 oz egg yolks
- •14 g/½ oz cocoa powder
- •4 g/½ tsp baking powder
- •½ vanilla pod or a tsp of vanilla extract
- •pinch of salt
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 170° C/325° F; adjust according to your own oven.
Grease 9” free bottom round cake tin, line base with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a Bain-Marie. If using the bowl and simmering water method, do not allow the water to touch the bowl.
Place the nuts on a baking tray and toast until golden. Allow to cool, then blitz in a food processor till fine.
Cream the butter and ⅓ of the icing sugar.
Separate the eggs.
Add the egg yolks, with the vanilla extract; it may look split at this point.
Add the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Add the nuts and mix well.
In a grease-free bowl, whisk your egg whites till soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar a spoonful at a time, making sure the sugar is dissolved. This may take 5 minutes.
Take a spoonful of the egg white mixture and add it to the chocolate mixture, mixing well. This loosens up the chocolate mixture and makes it easier to fold in the rest of the egg whites.
Add the remaining egg whites, folding with a large spatula, until all the egg whites are incorporated.
Spoon into the cake tin, leveling out the mixture.
Place in the middle of your oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then release from the tin, place on a cooling rack and leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar.
Please note: I was told that this recipe took 20 minutes to cook, but it did take longer.
You can serve it as is, or with Mascarpone.