This is my favourite chocolate cake. I have to confess to not really being the biggest chocolate cake fan but this one can and does manage to persuade me otherwise. Rich chocolate and hazelnut are a match made in heaven and make this cake moist and delicious. Decorated with chocolate pralines make it a lovely cake to give as a gift but if you want to keep it simple just sprinkle over some chopped hazelnuts.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bundt

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

• 120g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 220g unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 160g + 20g caster sugar
• 120g ground, roasted hazelnuts
• 50g chopped, roasted hazelnuts
• 120g plain flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder plus a little extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

For the Glaze

• 200ml of Chocolate Glaçage (see Basics)

To Decorate

• A selection of chocolate pralines or roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan.
2. Break the chocolate into a microwave proof jug and add the butter. Heat in 30 second blasts until just melted and leave to cool.
3. Grease a large bundt tin with a little melted butter and dust with cocoa powder.
4. Beat together the egg yolks and 160g caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and set aside.
6. In a clean bowl, whisk together the egg whites with the salt and 20g caster sugar until stiff but not dry.
7. Fold the cooled, melted chocolate into the egg yolks followed by the flour mixture and the nuts until combined.
8. Working in thirds, gently but swiftly fold in the beaten egg whites until incorporated.
9. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 – 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
11. Once cool, pour over the glaze and leave to set before decorating with the chocolates.
12. If using the chopped nuts than sprinkle them over before the glaze has set.