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An overhead shot of Italian Hazelnut Cake, with a slice ready for serving.
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5 from 1 vote

Torta di Nocciole Recipe (Italian Hazelnut Cake)

A delicious cake from North Italy, Torta di Nocciole (also known as Italian Hazelnut Cake) is a flourless cake that you can serve the whole year-round. Excellent for snacks, dessert, or even breakfast!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 10
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Neriz

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 & 3/4 cup whole hazelnuts, (250 grams)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 medium eggs, separated (63 to 73 grams each)
  • pinch of salt
  • butter and flour, for preparing the cake pan
  • powdered sugar, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Preparing equipment:

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). 
  • Grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust it with flour.  Set aside.

Preparing hazelnut cake batter:

  • Combine hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor.
  • Pulse until you get a 'sand-like' texture.
  • Transfer nuts and sugar into a mixing bowl. 
  • Add egg yolks and a pinch of salt, then mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they reach a stiff peak.
  • Take a third of the beaten egg whites into the hazelnuts mixture and fold to combine.
  • Repeat until all the egg whites have been combined with the rest.
  • Pour hazelnut cake batter into the prepared 8-inch cake pan.
  • Tap the pan gently on the countertop to remove bubbles.

Baking flourless torta di nocciole:

  • Place the cake pan in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Take the pan out of the oven and set it aside to cool for at least 20 minutes.
  • Remove the cake carefully from the pan by loosening the sides of the cake first.
  • Sprinkle your hazelnut cake with powdered sugar, if preferred.
  • Serve.

Video

Notes

  • Cook's Tip #1:  Do not over-process the hazelnuts.  You can certainly process it more than I did, but not too much, or you'll end up with hazelnut butter.
  • Cook's Tip #2:  Fold the beaten egg whites gently into the cake batter to combine.  Hence, adding it in portions for easier folding.
  • Cook's Tip #3:  When removing the cake from the pan, it is better to loosen up the sides first, even if you are using a springform cake pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg