Ingredients: <br />Cake: <br />14 ounces (400g) hazelnuts / filberts <br />Cocoa powder and butter for the cakepan <br />8.8 ounces (250g) dark chocolate, about 70% <br />7 ounces (200g) butter, room temp <br />7 ounces (200g) sugar <br />5 egg yolks <br />Pinch of salt <br />1 Tbsp (15 mL) brandy <br /> <br />Glaze: <br />½ cup (125 mL) water <br />3.5 ounces (100g) sugar <br />1/8 tsp cream of tartar <br />2.6 ounces (75g) dark chocolate <br />1 ounces (30g) butter <br /> <br />Method: <br />Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) <br />Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast until browned, about five minutes. <br />Reduce the oven to 300ºF (150ºC) <br />Wrap the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub / shake to loosen and remove as much of the papery skin as possible. <br />Reserve about 30g of the hazelnuts to sprinkle on the cake at the end; pulse the rest in a food processor until finely ground. <br />Grease the bottom and sides of a 23cm springform cakepan, then dust the insides with cocoa powder. <br />Line the base with parchment. <br />Put the chocolate and 1 Tbsp of butter in a heatproof bowl and carefully melt the chocolate in a microwave. <br />Set aside and allow to cool. <br />With a mixer; cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. <br />Light and fluffy… light and fluffy… very important. <br />Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition, add the salt with the last yolk. <br />Fold in the ground hazelnuts, then the chocolate, then the brandy. <br />Scrape into the cake pan, smooth the top and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. <br />About 60 minutes; don’t open the door too early or the cake will deflate. <br />Cool a wire rack for 20 minutes before releasing and allowing to cool completely. <br />Turn the cake on to a plate, and remove the parchment, leave upside down when you glaze. <br /> <br />Make the glaze: <br />Place the sugar, water and cream of tartar into a small pan over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. <br />Raise temp to medium high and bring to a boil and boil hard for three minutes. <br />Should reach 215ºF. <br />Remove from the heat and cool until it's around 150ºF. <br />Stir in the chocolate and butter until it's melted, blended and glossy. <br />Pour over the cake and finish with the reserved nuts. <br /> <br /> Serves eight. <br /> <br />**Ounces are of course avoirdupois ounces and not liquid ounces
