Rachel Roddy's Hazelnut Chocolate Cake: A Rustic Italian Delight
Rachel Roddy's recipe for a hazelnut and chocolate cake brings a pastoral charm to the kitchen, offering a simple yet indulgent treat. This variation of the classic Italian torta caprese swaps almonds for hazelnuts, creating a rich, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with hazelnut ice-cream. The cake, photographed by Rachel Roddy for The Guardian, captures the essence of countryside baking with its deep chocolate notes and toasted nut undertones.
Inspired by Literary Nutting Adventures
The recipe draws inspiration from Thomas Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree, where the character Dick Dewy embarks on a nut-gathering journey in Grey's Wood. This literary nod highlights the historical joy of harvesting wild hazelnuts, a tradition once cherished in rural England. Today, cultivated cobnuts and hazelnuts from farms like Potash Farm in St Mary's Platt and Roughway Farm in Tonbridge provide the key ingredients, available dried from October to December for a buttery, toasted flavor.
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions
To recreate this dessert, start by preheating the oven to 180C (160C fan) or 350F. Line a 24cm round cake tin with baking paper. In a food processor, pulse 250g of whole, shelled, toasted hazelnuts or cobnuts until they form a rough flour. Add 200g of roughly chopped dark chocolate and pulse again to create a sandy mixture.
In a separate bowl, beat 200g of room-temperature butter with 150g of caster sugar until soft and light. Incorporate four egg yolks one by one, then stir in the chocolate-nut mixture along with an optional two tablespoons of plain flour. Whisk four egg whites until stiff peaks form, and gently fold them into the batter. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is firm with a tender center. A slight sink in the middle is expected and adds to its rustic appeal.
Serving and Pairing Suggestions
Allow the cake to cool in the tin before carefully transferring it to a rack. A heavy dusting of icing sugar enhances its sweetness, while a spoonful of cold cream or hazelnut ice-cream elevates the experience. This dessert not only satisfies a sweet tooth but also connects to Hardy's narrative, where forgiveness and forgotten nuts among brambles add a touch of whimsy to the baking process.
Recipe Summary
Ingredients: 250g toasted hazelnuts or cobnuts, 200g dark chocolate, 150g butter, 150g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 2 tbsp plain flour (optional), icing sugar for dusting.
Method: Process nuts and chocolate, beat butter and sugar, mix in yolks and dry ingredients, fold in whipped egg whites, bake, and cool. Serve dusted with icing sugar for a delightful finish.
