Hairy Bikers' Chocolate & Hazelnut Cake (Torta Gianduia)

I was watching the Hairy Bikers' Bakeation program a couple of weeks ago and as soon as I saw them making this cake I knew I had to make it as soon as possible. Before making the cake they spent some time with a local hazelnut grower who showed them how he turned his hazelnuts into the most fabulous-looking homemade chocolate spread (like Nutella but more so). They then proceeded to make the most tempting-sounding cake and smothered it with the chocolate spread. I was sold.

So I stocked up on the necessary ingredients and today had the opportunity to make it. There are a few stages involved in the cakes construction - baking and blitzing the nuts, melting the chocolate, beating the eggs - but it was soon in the oven and filling the house with an amazing aroma. Sadly I didn't have any homemade Italian chocolate hazelnut spread to hand so Nutella was the next best thing and it was very satisfying to spread over the cooled and turned out cake. Just a few hazelnuts for decoration and it was ready to eat.

 The resulting cake was dense and moist, almost brownie-like in texture. As the recipe doesn't include flour it doesn't have the usual airy texture of a sponge cake but was rich and very chocolatey with plenty of texture and flavour from the hazelnuts. An undeniable winner from start to finish.

You can find the recipe here...what are you waiting for.....!