Hazelnut Flour Cake Recipe

Quick Summary: Hazelnut flour cake is a French loaf cake made with ground hazelnuts, brown sugar, and a light meringue, then topped with a whipped chocolate-hazelnut (Nutella) ganache and caramelized hazelnuts.

It bakes at 300°F (150°C) for about 45 minutes, and the ganache is made a day ahead so it can chill overnight. The result is a moist, nutty cake that is simple to make but looks like a bakery dessert.

Why you'll love this recipe

• This hazelnut ganache cake recipe is simple and easy to make.
• A rich and tasty hazelnut and chocolate combo is for Nutella lovers: if you love Nutella, this cake is just for you!
• The recipe guides how to make hazelnut ganache, one of the most delicious.
• This simple hazelnut ganache cake makes a perfect dessert for a special event, such as a birthday.

Equipment

Here are the main tools you need to make this hazelnut flour cake:

• Stand mixer or electric mixer, to beat the batter and whip the meringue.
• Silicone loaf pan for baking and unmolding the cake cleanly.
• Hand whisk and rubber spatula, to make the ganache and fold in the meringue.
• Non-stick frying pan, to caramelize the hazelnuts.
• Pastry bag with a plain pastry tip, to pipe the ganache into neat laces.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Hazelnut flour/meal: use a store-bought hazelnut flour/meal or make ground hazelnuts yourself using a food processor. Use roasted nuts with their skins on for better color and flavor. Be careful not to over-grind hazelnuts; otherwise, you will get nut butter.

• Brown sugar: use golden brown sugar to make the cake.

• Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs. Separate egg whites from egg yolks while the eggs are chilled. You will probably love this beneficial tool, an egg separator.

• Icing sugar: make it yourself using a coffee grinder or use store-bought powdered sugar.

• Flour: all-purpose flour is also used for this recipe.

• Baking powder: be sure to use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.

• Butter: the recipe calls for unsalted butter. No need to take it out of the fridge in advance; it will melt.

• Salt: just a pinch is all you need here.

• Sugar: use either granulated white sugar or caster sugar.

• Whipping cream: use whipping cream with 35% fat content.

• Nutella hazelnut spread: nothing is special here. Yes, the well-known Nutella hazelnut spread is used to make the most delicious ganache to decorate the cake.

• Hazelnut praline paste: please make it yourself or use store-bought hazelnut praline.

• Hazelnuts: these nuts are the stars of the cake. Either use store-bought roasted hazelnuts or roast nuts yourself.

How to make hazelnut flour cake

Step 1. To make the ganache, place Nutella and hazelnut praline paste in a bowl and mix with a hand whisk (photo 1).

Step 2. Bring the whipping cream to a boil, then pour it into the chocolate/hazelnut mixture and whisk with a hand whisk until homogeneous (photo 2).

Step 3. Cover the bowl with plastic film in contact and refrigerate overnight.

Step 4. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). To make the cake batter, place hazelnut flour, brown sugar, and icing sugar in a bowl of the stand mixer and mix the dry ingredients.

Step 5. Gradually add the egg whites, then the egg yolks, and continue beating (photo 3).

Step 6. Add salt, sifted all-purpose flour, and baking powder, and mix (photo 4).

Step 7. Melt the butter, then slowly add it to the preparation. Mix until the batter is smooth and homogeneous (photo 5). Transfer it to a regular bowl.

Step 8. In a separate bowl, whisk ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons (110 g) egg whites until soft peaks form.

Step 9. Gradually add 1 tablespoon (15 g) of granulated sugar, whisking with an electric mixer until the meringue forms. (photo 6).

Step 10. Gradually add the meringue to the principal preparation, mixing with a rubber spatula (photo 7).

Step 11. Butter a silicone loaf pan, and pour the batter into the mold (photo 8).

Step 12. Bake for 45 minutes (photo 9). Remove the cake from the mold while it is warm. Let it cool on a wire rack.

Step 13. To make caramelized hazelnuts, place the nuts in a non-stick frying pan and sprinkle them with icing sugar.

Step 14. Heat over medium and mix until hazelnuts are coated with caramel. When the sugar is completely melted and incorporated, transfer the nuts to a parchment-lined sheet (photo 10).

Step 15. Separate caramelized hazelnuts while they are hot. Let it cool down.

Step 16. To decorate the cake, whip the cold ganache (photo 11) and place it in a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 806.

Step 17. Pipe the ganache into parallel laces on top of the cake. Arrange whole and halved caramelized hazelnuts over the ganache (photo 12). Refrigerate until serving. 

Expert tips

• Follow this recipe to make Hazelnut Praline Paste yourself, or use a store-bought hazelnut paste.
• To pipe the ganache more easily, refrigerate it for a few minutes after whipping.
• Decorate the cake with caramelized hazelnuts and edible gold leaf, if you desire. 
• Serve the cake right from the fridge. It is not supposed for the cake to stay on the table long: the ganache will lose its shape on top of the dessert.

Recipe FAQ

Can you make hazelnut flour cake in advance?
Yes. Make the hazelnut ganache one day ahead since it needs to chill overnight. You can also bake the loaf in advance and decorate it the next day.

How do you store hazelnut ganache cake?
Store the decorated cake in the fridge for up to two to three days. Serve it straight from the fridge so the ganache keeps its shape.

Can you freeze hazelnut flour cake?
Freeze the undecorated loaf, well wrapped, for up to one month. Thaw it in the fridge, then whip the ganache and decorate before serving.

How do you make hazelnut flour at home?
Grind roasted hazelnuts with their skins on in a food processor in short pulses until fine. Stop before they turn into nut butter, and use the meal right away for the best flavor.

What is the difference between hazelnut flour and hazelnut meal?
They are almost the same. Hazelnut flour is usually finer and often made from blanched nuts, while hazelnut meal is coarser with the skins left on. Either one works in this recipe.

Is this hazelnut flour cake gluten-free?
No. It uses a small amount of all-purpose flour along with the hazelnut flour. You can experiment with a gluten-free flour blend, though the texture may change.

Love chocolate cakes? Try these next!

• French Meringue Cake Merveilleux
• Royal Chocolate Cake Trianon
• Nutella Cake Roll
• Raspberry Almond Cake
• Gingerbread Loaf Cake
• Browse all the Cake Recipes

Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates. If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below!

Print

Recipe card