This cake has a bit of prep work, but it is well worth the effort. The texture is absolutely divine, very silky and smooth. Perhaps it’s due to the ricotta, I’m not sure. But this is a recipe I don’t mess with, I make it exactly as it is here. Although you could use packaged hazelnut meal I highly recommend you roast whole nuts yourself, remove the shin then blitz in the food processor as it gives the cake a much richer flavour. It comes from one of my favourite cookbooks, Cake Bible published by Penguin. Every cake I’ve made from this book is a winner, with this one coming in at the top.
Ingredients
220 grams softened butter
250 grams sugar
6 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons plain flour
½ cup grated dark chocolate
350 grams ground roasted hazelnuts
400 grams fresh ricotta
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and line a 23 cm springform cake tin.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time.
- Combine the flour, chocolate and hazelnuts in a separate bowl, then fold into the batter. Stir in the ricotta and vanilla.
- Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the batter. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing and serving.
