Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

This lovely Chocolate Hazelnut Torte is a dense yet delicate flourless cake that should be on your list to make next time you want to impress with its rich chocolate flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture. It isn't too sweet and has complex toasted notes from the roasted hazelnuts. The chocolate cream topping is light and airy and the crunchy roasted hazelnuts with dark chocolate curls make it extra special. It is gluten free by nature since the nuts provide enough structure that flour isn't required, and this lack of flour is what creates this soft, melting texture. If you're a fan of European-style torte cakes then you are going to love this rich and fudgy chocolate hazelnut cake, and be sure to also check out my most 5-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Simple ingredients - all you need are a few basic ingredients to make this impressive cake.
• No flour - this cake doesn't contain any flour at all which means it is naturally gluten-free. In the absence of flour, it cake gets its structure from a few main ingredients: hazelnuts, eggs and chocolate. Egg proteins provide strength. The yolks help emulsify the chocolate with the liquid from the whites, while the whipped proteins from egg whites provide majority of the structure and add lift to give this cake it's light and airy texture.
• Rich chocolate flavor - this recipe is based on dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has a high cocoa content which provides some starchy compounds that will support the batter. Cocoa butter is also very hard at room temperature and will firm up to set the structure of this cake.
• Soft delicate texture - the texture of this cake is unique. It is dense and rich, yet light and soft at the same time.

INGREDIENTS

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full recipe with measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Hazelnuts - for the best flavor, I highly recommend that you roast the hazelnuts first before grinding them. It's easy! Just place them in a single layer in a dry frying pan over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently for 10 minutes until they are fragrant. Once toasted, turn them out onto a dry kitchen towel, wrap them up and rub it around to loosen the skins.
• Granulated sugar - simple white sugar keeps this cake moist and adds the right amount of sweetness without interfering with the hazelnut flavor.
• Eggs - five large eggs will set the structure of this cake. You need to separate 4 of them, and leave one whole.
• Butter - I use unsalted butter here, but you can use salted butter too. In this case, you can omit the added salt in the batter.
• Dark chocolate - you'll need pure dark chocolate to make this cake - compound chocolate will not work. It is important that the chocolate has a high cocoa content as well, since the cocoa and cocoa butter will firm up this cake. If you use semi-sweet chocolate, it will contribute a lot more sugar and it will affect the final texture of the cake. I highly recommend dark chocolate with 60% cocoa solids. You can blend semisweet chocolate with my favorite bittersweet chocolate callets which are very convenient.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Melt butter with chocolate. Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with ½-inch of barely simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
• STEP 2). Beat egg whites. Separate 4 of the eggs. Place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Place the yolks in another large bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites on medium speed for about 3 minutes until they reach soft peaks. Gradually beat in ¼ cup (50g) of sugar until they hold firm peaks. If using your stand mixer, you will need this bowl again so transfer these whipped egg whites to another bowl and set aside.
• STEP 3). Beat egg yolks. Add the one whole egg, ½ cup (100g) sugar and salt to the bowl with the 4 egg yolks (or combine everything together in the stand mixer bowl that had the egg whites in it) and beat on high speed for 5 minutes until very pale yellow and thick. The mixture should reach the ribbon stage, so that it falls back on itself in billowy folds. Gently fold in cooled chocolate mixture and ground hazelnuts.
• STEP 4). Combine eggs with chocolate. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 batches using a spatula until combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the surface.
• STEP 5). Bake for 25-30 minutes until it puffs up and feels firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door closed for 10 minutes. It will crack at the surface and should not be wobbly in the center when ready, but trust that it will be fudgy and moist once cooled. Transfer pan to a wire rack to finish cooling. It will collapse slightly.
• STEP 6). Make the topping. Combine cream, skim milk powder, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl and beat until it reaches soft peaks. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and beat until it is smooth and forms firm peaks. Spread it over the cooled cake, dust generously with cocoa powder and top with chopped roasted hazelnuts and chocolate curls before serving.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Cool the chocolate mixture - If the chocolate is too hot, it will deflate the eggs when they are folded in. Having a cooled chocolate base will help stabilize the structure.
• Slowly beat in sugar - adding the sugar gradually will ensure that the eggs whip to their maximum volume. If it is added all at once it will deflate them. Gradual addition also gives the sugar a chance to dissolve in the eggs which will create a more moist texture and a stable foam.
• Fold the egg whites in stages - gradual addition of egg whites ensures that they incorporate evenly without over-mixing and deflating the batter. You can be a little less careful with the first addition as the aim is to lighten up the mixture so it is easier to fold in the remaining whites.
• Be gentle - Fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture gently. Use a large flat rubber spatula for big surface area to pick up batter from the bottom and fold it through and over the top. If you fold too vigorously, the air bubbles will deflate.

RECIPE FAQ

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Video

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Christina Marsigliese

Tender, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate hazelnut cake with complex flavor from roasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate. It's gluten-free by nature since it is a flourless cake and it's topped with Nutella whipped cream. This cake is sure to impress at your next dinner party!

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Batter:

• 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (ideally 60-70% cocoa), coarsely chopped
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ⅔ cups (165g) ground roasted hazelnuts
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional

Nutella Whipped Cream:

• ¾ cup (180ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoon skim milk powder
• 1 teaspoon (4g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon (4g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
• 2 tablespoon (30ml) Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread

Topping:

• cocoa powder for dusting
• chopped roasted hazelnuts
• dark chocolate curls

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the sides of an 8-inch round non-stick springform pan and line the base with a round of parchment paper.
• Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with ½-inch of barely simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
• Prepare the hazelnuts. Place 165g roasted skinned hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are very fine and resemble bread crumbs. See notes in the article above for how to roast and skin your hazelnuts.
• Make the cake batter. Separate 4 of the eggs. Place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer). Place the yolks in another large bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites on medium speed for about 3 minutes until they reach soft peaks. Gradually beat in ¼ cup (50g) of sugar until they hold firm peaks. If using your stand mixer, you will need this bowl again so transfer these whipped egg whites to another bowl and set aside.
• Add the one whole egg, ½ cup (100g) sugar and salt to the bowl with the 4 egg yolks (or combine everything together in the stand mixer bowl that had the egg whites in it) and beat on high speed for 5 minutes until very pale yellow and thick. The mixture should reach the ribbon stage, so that it falls back on itself in billowy folds. Gently fold in cooled chocolate mixture and ground hazelnuts.
• Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 batches using a spatula until combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 25-30 minutes until it puffs up and feels firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door closed for 10 minutes. It will crack at the surface and should not be wobbly in the center when ready, but trust that it will be fudgy and moist once cooled. Transfer pan to a wire rack to finish cooling. It will collapse slightly.
• Make the topping. Combine cream, skim milk powder, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl and beat until it reaches soft peaks. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and beat until it is smooth and forms firm peaks. Spread it over the cooled cake, dust generously with cocoa powder and top with chopped roasted hazelnuts and chocolate curls before serving.