This is a buttermilk cake that to me has strong autumnal flavours. The nuts and buttermilk make this cake moist and it keeps well.   I wish I could adequately describe the smell of nuts and cinnamon that now perfumes my house. My favourite way to serve this is still slightly warm with vanilla flavoured cream.

Cinnamon & Hazelnut Bundt Cake

INGREDIENTS

240g unsalted butter, softened

300g caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

350ml buttermilk

260g plain flour

100g ground roasted hazelnuts

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

4 tsp ground cinnamon

50g roasted chopped hazelnuts

A little icing sugar to dust

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Grease and flour a 2.8 liter Bundt tin.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then beat in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda then mix in the salt and ground hazelnuts.

With the mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs in one at a time until well incorporated. At this stage the mixture might curdle. To prevent this happening add a tablespoon of the flour mixture with the first egg.

Turn the mixer down to a low speed and add the buttermilk. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until well combined.

Spoon 300g of the batter into a separate bowl and stir into that the cinnamon and chopped hazelnuts.

Spoon a layer of the plain batter into the prepared Bundt tin then spoon on a thin layer of the cinnamon mixture. Continue alternating the plain and cinnamon mixtures until they are both used up and finish with a plain layer.

Bake the cake for 60 – 65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before turning it out of the tin to cool completely.

Lightly dust the cake with icing sugar before serving.