This is a great gluten free cake. The lack of flour means it is also very moist and moreish!
Ingredients (serves 12-14)
For the cake
- 250g butter, unsalted
- 250g chocolate buttons, 70% cocoa solids
- 6 eggs
- 150g golden caster sugar
- 100g hazelnuts
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extra
For the Italian meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 200g caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
To serve
- Fresh strawberries, sliced
- Whipped cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 2000C.
Grease a 24cm diameter cake tin with a loose bottom with baking parchment.
Put the hazelnuts on a baking tin and roast for 7 minutes to release their aromas. Take out of the oven and leave to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 1800C.
In a bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate. Stir to incorporate fully and leave to cool.
In a standing mixer, beat the eggs, caster sugar, salt and vanilla for a few minutes until pale and increased in volume threefold.
When the hazelnuts are cold, blitz in a small blender or a coffee/spice grinder and add to the cool chocolate mixture, reserving a heaped tablespoon to sprinkle on top of the meringue at the end.
With a spatula, fold one third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate until fully incorporated. Repeat twice with the remaining egg trying not to knock the air out of the mixture. Pour into the lined tin and bake for an hour.
While the cake is baking, make the Italian meringue. Put the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a standing mixer and start mixing gently at first and then at a higher speed until thick peaks are formed. Put 45ml of water in a saucepan with the sugar and heat to dissolve the sugar without stirring. Take care not to touch the sides of the pan with wet sugar as this will crystalise the syrup.
Use a thermometer and turn the heat off when the temperature reaches 118 0C. Pour the syrup at a thin continuous stream into the mixer while it is whisking and leave it to continue whisking until the sides of the bowl feel cool to the touch. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag.
When the cake is ready, take out of the oven and leave in the tin for an hour at least to cool down completely. Take the cake out of tin and with the help of two spatulas move onto a cake plate.
Pipe the cake with the Italian meringue and use a blow torch if you wish to brown it a little before scattering with freeze dried strawberries and sprinkling with the reserved hazelnuts.
Serve with sliced fresh strawberries and whipped cream.