Italian hazelnut cake is super easy to make, yet it tastes elegant, rich, hearty, and comforting. Great on its own, but just fantastic with a spoonful of homemade chocolate hazelnut spread.
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As much as I love looking at and making fancy layer cakes for birthdays, on a day-to-day basis, I usually gravitate toward humble-looking simple cakes that come together easily. Yes, I’m saying “on a day-to-day basis,” because I do believe you shouldn’t wait for special occasions to bake a cake. In fact, the most satisfying cakes are often the ones you make “just because.”
It’s no secret I love cakes that use ground nuts: nuts add a lovely, mellow flavor to cakes and a really nice crumbly texture that stays moist for days—improves, even. Also, any trick I can use to increase the nutritional value of cake so it’s OK to turn it into a snack: I’m in.
One of my go-to nut-based cakes is Torta di Nocciole, or Italian Hazelnut Cake. This humble-looking cake originates from Piedmont, a Northern Italian province that is believed to produce some of the best hazelnuts in the world. Piedmont is where a quintessential Italian flavor was created—gianduja, an addictive combination of chocolate and hazelnuts you can use in fine chocolates, gelato, spreads, and much more—and also the birthplace of the world-famous chocolate hazelnut spread, Nutella.
Torta di Nocciole is rich-tasting, hearty, and comforting. In Piedmont, hazelnut cake is a fall and winter treat: a way to use up excess nuts at the end of the season, according to Italy-based food writer Emiko Davies. I make Italian Hazelnut Cake year-round, though: while it’s true that it may not be the best cake to serve on a hot summer day ( were created for such days!), I wouldn’t ever say no to a slice topped with gelato, a spoonful of whipped cream, and some fresh fruits.
Keep this Italian Hazelnut Cake in your arsenal of go-to recipes: Torta di Nocciole is an effortlessly elegant dessert that looks humble but makes everyone swoon and ask for more. Enjoy a slice as is for an instant mood-lifting effect, or top it with homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread or gianduja ganache or when you want to impress.
Nuts are expensive, so you should make sure to treat them with extra care. All nuts will go bad when they’re not properly stored, but hazelnuts are especially sensitive to spoilage. Nuts will turn rancid within a couple of weeks when stored at room temperature (such as in a pantry.) You shouldn’t store nuts in the freezer, which is too harsh an environment. Refrigerator freezers are not made for lengthy storage and cause freezer burn, which damages food and renders it inedible. Unused nuts should be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator: this will keep them fresh for months.
Hazelnuts vary in size, so it can be hard to get the quantity right when trying to fit them into a measuring cup. To properly measure out whole roasted hazelnuts in a measuring cup, fit only as many as you can to fill the cup without heaping it. When looking at the side of the cup, you shouldn’t see nuts bulging over the rim of the cup: in fact, you should be able to set a square of paper flat over the cup. The most precise way of measuring nuts is by weight, which is why I’m also providing the weight measurements in the recipe below.
Because I’m a born citrus lover and orange and hazelnut is one of my favorite flavor combinations, I like to add orange zest in this Italian Hazelnut Cake. The sweet aroma of orange zest adds an extra dimension to the flavor and texture of this cake, which only gets better as days pass. You can play with the extra flavors you use in this Italian Hazelnut Cake, though. Here are some ideas to replace the orange zest:
Italian Hazelnut Cake is sturdy and gets better with age, so it’s an excellent make-ahead dessert. Once the cake is completely cool, either store it under a cake dome for up to 3 days, or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
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Author: Marie Asselin
Hello! I do not own a food processor and was wondering if I could still make this recipe with almond floor instead of processed almonds? Thanks!
Hello Eva! Yes you can absolutely use hazelnut flour instead of processing your own. You’ll need about 3/4 cup (72 g) hazelnut flour to equal the quantity of whole nuts specified in the recipe.
The directions don’t incorporate the baking powder or salt. Looks right and smells good but I haven’t tasted it yet…
Thanks for letting me know Ruth! I just updated the recipe. I hope you enjoyed the cake!