I make - Gianduja Cake

This recipe is adapted from Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake by The Hairy Bikers. The cake is light and full of hazelnut flavor. The original method is as per chiffon cake where you separate yolks from the whites, whip up two separately and combine. This is the method which delivers the lightest texture as The Hairy Bikers intended. I also tried the Whisking method where I whip up whole eggs until light and fluffy (3 mins for my hand held beaters) and incorporate the rest of the ingredients. The result is pretty good too. I also reduce the oven temperature for a slow and low method as the cake doesn't end up with a crater on top.

Gianduja Cake 

Ingredients

For the cake
80g ground almond or hazelnut
20 g cocoa powder
100g butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
100g gianduja cubes (it's solid like chocolate bar)
3 medium eggs, separated
100g/7oz caster sugar, preferably golden
2 tbsp hazelnut liqueur or amaretto liqueur (or fresh orange juice)

Topping
chocolate and hazelnut spread
Toasted hazelnut pieces (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C/400F/Gas 6.

Butter a 15cm/6in round cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.

Put the butter and gianduja chunks in a heatproof bowl and set it above a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally and as soon as nearly all the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pan and continue to let the chocolate melt in the residual heat.

Stir in the ground almond and leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together with an electric hand-whisk for at least 5 minutes until pale and creamy, then stir into the chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Wash and dry the beaters well.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form – they are ready when you can turn the bowl upside down without the eggs sliding out. Do not over whisk.

Working quickly, stir the hazelnut liqueur, amaretto or orange juice, into the chocolate mixture to soften. Add a couple of tablespoonfuls of the whisked egg whites and stir until thoroughly combined, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 35–40 minutes or until the cake is well risen and firm.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Invert the cake on to a serving plate, then peel off the lining paper and leave it to cool completely.

When the cake is cold, spread it with the chocolate and hazelnut spread and sprinkle with the hazelnuts that you set aside – these can be whole or chopped, whatever you prefer.