Sicilian Hazelnut Cake
As promised, we tried the Sicilian Hazelnut Cake recipe found on the Mangia Bedda blog. Very happy with the result. Our only changes were to reduce the sugar and up the salt slightly, to tip the sweet/savory balance toward savory. You could eat this with a meal in the way we eat cornbread, maybe with some melted butter and hot honey. Or serve for dessert with macerated fruit and whipped cream. Makes one 10-inch cake.
Ingredients:
1¾ c hazelnuts
3 large eggs
½ c fruity olive oil OR neutral vegetable oil
½ c granulated sugar
½ c whole milk
1 t vanilla extract
1½ c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t Kosher salt, plus a pinch for beating egg whites
Method: husk the hazelnuts using this method, then roast 20 minutes at 325 degrees until they just begin to brown. Chop coarsely (not to powder) in a food processor; reserve. Separate eggs; combine yokes with sugar and oil and beat to mix. Add milk and vanilla and mix well. Add hazelnuts, reserving a couple of tablespoons full for topping. Add flour and baking powder and fold many times with a spatula to form a smooth, even paste. (This batter will be quite thick.) Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt till they reach the stiff-peak stage. Mix into the batter until all the whites are incorporated.
Have an oven preheated to 350 degrees and a 9 inch springform pan with sides buttered and bottom covered with parchment, or else a 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper trimmed to cover both bottom and sides (like we did for this fast focaccia recipe). Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with spatula till it reaches the edges. Sprinkle the reserved hazelnuts on top. Bake 40-45 minutes until the sides pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.
