Decadent Chocolate Hazelnut Cake {gluten-free}
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This Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is beautifully moist, rich with extra chocolate and hazelnuts and completely grain-free.
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This Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is amazing and is a perfect weekend treat if you’re following a gluten-free existence or not. It is pretty much just chocolate and ground hazelnuts with just a touch of espresso to lift all that chocolate and nuts so it is luxurious and satisfying. If you don’t mind separating the eggs and whisking the whites to fold in at the end then it is a very simple batter to put together as well.
The key to the gorgeous texture of this flourless cake is to soak the sponge, whilst warm, with a chocolate syrup. It isn’t wholly necessary but does add another layer of chocolatiness and added succulence to the crumb. A third layer of chocolatiness is then spooned on top in the form of a glossy and decadent chocolate glaze. If you can resist not helping yourself to the majority chocolate glaze with a large dessert spoon before it’s put on the cake then more power to you.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Gluten-free, flourless, grain-free.
- Simple ingredients.
- Gorgeous texture.
- Crunchy and caramelised hazelnut praline is the perfect contrast to the soft sponge beneath.
- Lovely as a cake but incredible as a dessert warmed up and served with single cream.
- No xanthan gum. Read more >>> Why I don't bake with xanthan gum.
Ingredients needed
Chocolate cake
- Dark chocolate. I like 70% dark chocolate.
- Eggs. This recipe uses medium sized egg.
- Vanilla extract. I like to use Neilsen Massey.
- Caster sugar. An ultra fine white baking sugar.
- Hazelnuts. Use roasted and skinned.
- Cocoa powder.
- Baking powder.
- Espresso powder. Brings out the flavour of the chocolate
- Whole milk.
Chocolate soaking syrup
- Soft light brown sugar.
- Cocoa powder.
- Vanilla extract. I like to use Neilsen Massey.
- Water.
Hazelnut praline
- Caster sugar.
- Sea salt.
- Hazelnuts. Use roasted and skinned.
Chocolate glaze
- Dark chocolate. I like 70% dark chocolate.
- Unsalted butter.
- Golden syrup. You can swap for maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract. I like to use Neilsen Massey.
- Sea salt.
How to make it
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Melt the chocolate.
- Whisk up the egg whites until stiff.
- Beat together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the egg yolk and sugar mixture and combine.
- Add the ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder, baking powder and espresso powder and mix well. Stir in the whole milk to slacken the mixture.
- Fold in the egg whites.
- Pour into cake tin and bake for 50 minutes.
Chocolate Soaking Syrup
- Melt together water and sugar in a small saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the cocoa powder and stir in the vanilla.
- Poke holes in the surface of the cake and pour the syrup evenly over.
Allow cake to cool in the cake tin before removing.
Hazelnut Praline
- Heat caster sugar in a medium sized saucepan, without stirring, until melted and turning a golden brown.
- Add the sea salt then very quickly pour in the hazelnuts, turning into the melted sugar.
- Pour out onto baking parchment to cool.
To get that pulled caramel look leave the praline for about 5 minutes until just cool enough to handle then pull the nuts apart so that the caramelised sugar is pulled into strands. Then roughly chop some of the hazelnuts.
Chocolate Glaze
- Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and melt together.
- Remove from the heat then pour over the cake, allowing some of the glaze to drip down the sides.
- Sprinkle the whole nut praline and the chopped nuts onto the top of the cake. Leave for the glaze to set then serve.
How to serve this cake
This Flourless Hazelnut Cake is delicious on its own. However, if you want to serve it as a dessert then if you take a slice, warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave and drizzle some single cream over the top then it's incredible.
How to store
This Chocolate Hazelnut Cake stores well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How to freeze
This cake freezes best before the chocolate glaze and hazelnut praline have been added. Allow to cool completely then wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminium foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight. Add the chocolate glaze and hazelnut praline and serve.
More gluten-free chocolate cakes
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Chocolate Espresso Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread with Coconut
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Chocolate Cranberry Clementine Cake
I urge you to give this Chocolate Hazelnut Cake a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
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Decadent Chocolate Hazelnut Cake {gluten-free}
Ingredients
For the cake
- 200 g 70% dark chocolate
- 6 eggs - separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 250 g ground hazelnuts
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 50 ml whole milk
For the chocolate soaking syrup
- 50 g water
- 45 g soft light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the hazelnut praline:
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 50 g roasted and skinned hazelnuts
For the chocolate glaze:
- 150 g 70% dark chocolate
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
The Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan assisted oven/ gas mark 3 and line and grease a 20cm round cake tin.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or a bain marie then leave to cool slightly whilst you get on with the rest.
- Whisk up the egg whites in a food mixer or by hand until they hold a stiff peak and set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract until pale and thick.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the egg and sugar mixture and beat in to combine thoroughly.
- Add the ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder, baking powder and espresso powder and mix well. Stir in the whole milk to slacken the mixture.
- With a metal spoon add a third of the egg whites into the batter gently folding it in until just combined then fold in the remaining whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 10 minutes then turn the oven up to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted oven / gas mark 4 and continue baking for around 35-40 minutes until firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Once the cake is ready, remove from the oven and leave in the tin whilst you prepare the chocolate soaking syrup.
The Chocolate Soaking Syrup
- For the chocolate soaking syrup heat up the water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has melted and it has reached a gentle boil. Whisk in the cocoa to dissolve then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Poke holes in the surface of the cake with a cocktail stick, pour the syrup evenly over and let the cake cool in the cake tin before removing.
The Hazelnut Praline
- To make the hazelnut praline heat the caster sugar in a medium sized saucepan, without stirring, until it has all melted and is turning a golden brown. Add the sea salt then very quickly pour in the hazelnuts, turning into the melted sugar, then pour out onto baking parchment.
- Leave the praline for about 5 minutes until just cool enough to handle then pull the nuts apart so that the caramelised sugar is pulled into strands. Then roughly chop some of the hazelnuts. Leave to cool whilst you prepare the chocolate glaze.
The Chocolate Glaze
- To make the glaze mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until it has all melted together and smooth.
- Remove from the heat then pour over the cake, allowing some of the glaze to drip down the sides.
- Sprinkle the whole nut praline and the chopped nuts onto the top of the cake. Leave for the glaze to set then serve.
Amazing cake. Moist and fluffy. I've done it for my mother's 70th anniversary and she loved it!
That's great to hear - thank you for leaving your feedback!!
I made this for our Coronation day celebrations and it went down very well. (I changed the topping, on this occasion, to stay with the Coronation theme) but may well do the hazelnut topping in the future.) It’s such a beautifully moist, tasty, chocolate cake and it’s definitely one I will bake again. It was utterly delicious! Thank you for another great recipe, Georgina.
I'm so happy to hear it was a success - thank you for sharing your experience of the cake!!
This was wonderful! My guests and I loved it. My husband didn't. He only likes flourless chocolate cakes with very dark chocolate, the kind I don't like. It was so light, and the hazelnuts were to die for. I plan to make it again. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.