chocolate hazelnut ring

Here is a deliciously rich chocolate cake made with ground hazelnuts, which give the cake its nutty crunch. Lovers of Nutella hazelnut and chocolate spread will definitely enjoy a slice of this! Serve with freshly whipped cream for an extra-special treat!

• 100 g/7 tablespoons butter, softened
• 140 g/scant ¾ cup caster/granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150 g/1½ cups blanched hazelnuts
• 100 g/1 cup ground almonds
• 60 g gluten-free self-raising flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder OR ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour plus 1½ teaspoons baking powder and 1⁄8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 140 g/5 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons sour cream

To decorate

• 100 g/3½ oz dark chocolate, melted
• 50 g/½ cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted

a 23-cm/9-in springform ring tin/pan, greased

Serves 10

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Blitz the hazelnuts to a fine powder in a food processor or chop very finely with a sharp knife.

Add the ground hazelnuts, ground almonds, flour, baking powder, melted chocolate, vanilla extract and sour cream to the bowl and fold through with a spatula until everything is incorporated. Spoon into the prepared tin/pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove the sides and centre of the tin and let the cake cool on a wire rack. Drizzle the cake with the melted chocolate and sprinkle over the hazelnuts to decorate.

This cake is best eaten on the day it is made.