Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake:
- 200 g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content)
- 200g butter
- 200 g sugar
- 4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
- 100 g ground almonds
- 50 g flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- A pinch of salt
For the chocolate ganache:
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 200 ml cream
For the hazelnut crust:
- 100 g hazelnuts, chopped
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g flour
- 50 g butter, cold and cut into cubes
For decoration:
- Fresh berries
- Icing sugar for dusting
Directions:
- Preparing the chocolate cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23 cm springform pan with butter and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler until completely melted and smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and a pinch of salt. Add these dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir well.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold them into the chocolate mixture until no white streaks are visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing it from the pan.
- Preparing the chocolate ganache:
- Finely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for about 1 minute before stirring gently until it forms a smooth ganache.
- Allow the ganache to cool slightly to thicken while you prepare the hazelnut crust.
- Preparation of the hazelnut crust:
- In a bowl, mix the chopped hazelnuts, sugar, flour and cold butter cubes.
- Knead the mixture with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.
- Composition of the cake:
- Place the cooled chocolate cake on a serving platter or cake stand.
- Pour the cooled chocolate ganache evenly over the cake and spread it with a spoon so that it covers the surface and runs slightly over the edge.
- Spread the prepared hazelnut crust evenly over the ganache and press it lightly to ensure it adheres.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the ganache to set and the hazelnut crust to become crispy.
- Serving and decorating:
- Before serving, garnish the cake with fresh berries and dust with powdered sugar.
- Cut the cake into pieces and serve to enjoy the delicious chocolate filling and crunchy hazelnut crust!
This chocolate ganache cake with hazelnut crust is a real treat for all chocolate lovers. With its rich and velvety texture of the cake, luxurious chocolate ganache and crunchy hazelnut crust, it is the perfect dessert for special occasions or just to indulge. Enjoy!