A week ago, my dad turned 56 and this is the cake I made for his birthday.
My dad loves coffee flavoured things and he also loves snacking on nuts so I thought I’d marry the two together in this simple, but really delicious cake.
Hazelnut Espresso Cake with Hazelnut Praline
200g hazelnuts, toasted
200g plain flour
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
125g unsalted butter
200g of sugar
3 eggs
125ml strong coffee
125ml milk
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 10 inch baking tin and set aside.
2. Process the toasted hazelnuts until very fine in a food processor. Add the flour and baking powder and give it another whizz. Tip out the nut and flour mixture and set aside.
3. In the food processor, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one by one until well combined.
4. Add the nut and flour mixture and give it another whizz until just combined.
5. Add the milk and coffee and whizz until the mix until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Decorate the cake with the buttercream and hazelnut praline.
Buttercream
50g unsalted butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons of milk
1 tablespoon of strong coffee
In a bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar. Add the milk and coffee until nice and fluffy.
Hazelnut Praline
50g hazelnuts, toasted
100g caster sugar
1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and a tablespoon of water in a small saucepan. Swirl the pan to ensure the sugar is coated with the water.
3. Bring to the boil over medium heat and cook until a deep caramel brown colour develops. Be careful not to burn it!
4. Add the hazelnuts, quickly swirl the pan to coat the nuts and tip it out onto the prepared baking tray.
5. Allow to set and smash it up in pieces with a big knife. Use to decorate the cake.
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