Haselnusstorte (Hazelnut Cake) - Delicious and Gluten Free!

Celiac's disease and gluten intolerance is now affecting thousands of people around the world.  But having Celiac's, which makes one intolerant to wheat, barley, and rye should not inhibit a person from enjoying a great dessert.  Last week I made a hazelnut cake which is great for the gluten intolerant individual.  It is rich and tasty and has the toasty taste and aroma of hazelnuts.  But happily, it is gluten free! Below is the recipe for the cake, the hazelnut filling and the chocolate buttercream I used for decoration.  Bon appetit!

Hazelnut Cake (adapted from Viennese Desserts Made Easy by Georgina Gronner)

1 1/3 cup peeled hazelnuts, ground
3/4 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
2. Toast peeled hazelnuts in 350 degree oven until they are a light golden color. (About 7-10 minutes).
3. Whisk egg yolks, egg, and sugar together on high in a mixer until they are pale yellow and fluffy.  (about 5-6 minutes).
4. Fold in ground hazelnuts with rubber spatula.
5. In a separate bowl whik egg whites until they make a soft peak.  Be careful not to overwhip.
6. Stir 1/3 of egg whites into egg yolks to lighten the batter.  Gently fold in remaining egg whites and pour into prepared pan. Bake immediately.
7. Bake about 30 minutes until cake is golden brown and springs back.


Chocolate Hazelnut Filling (adapted from Viennese Desserts Made Easy by Georgina Gronner)

Filling before butter is added

Caramelizing nuts and sugar

2/3 cup ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons rum




1. Cook hazelnuts and sugar over medium heat until hazelnuts and sugar are a light caramel color.  On low heat add egg yolks, milk and chocolate and cook until mixture thickens.  Cool hazelnut mixture.
2.  Whip butter until light and fluffy in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Add hazelnut mixture and whip until filling is light and fluffy.

Finished hazelnut filling

Chocolate buttercream (adapted from Culinary Institute of America Italian Buttercream recipe)


4 oz egg whites
8 oz sugar
12 oz cold butter, cubed into 1 inch pieces
4 oz chocolate
3 tablespoons rum

1. Prepare egg whites in mixing bowl with whisk attachment
2.  Measure sugar into heavy bottomed pot.  Add water to sugar until sugar is consistency of wet sand.  Wash down sides of pot with water so that NO SUGAR is on sides of pot.  Cook sugar until it reaches 240 degrees F.  When sugar is at 235 F start whipping egg whites.
3. Egg whites should be opaque and mixer should be on medium low speed.  Start streaming in hot sugar slowly.  After all sugar is incorporated turn mixer to high and whisk until the bowl feels body temperature.
4. Add butter slowly and whisk until the mixture emulsifies.  It should look satiny and taste smooth and creamy.
5. Melt chocolate and stream into buttercream when the chocolate is body temperature.  Add rum.

Cake Assembly
1. To assemble cake, slice cake into three layers.  Use hazelnut filling between 1st and 2nd and 2nd and third layer.  Use chocolate buttercream to ice and finish cake.  If desired caramelized hazelnuts can be used for decoration. Enjoy a slice of this cake with Frangelico liqueur.  This hazelnut liqueur will pick up the hazelnut flavors in the cake quite nicely.

Finished and decorated hazelnut cake