Chestnut and Hazelnut Cake
- 1/2 cup mild olive oil
- 1 cup chestnut flour* plus additional for dusting
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts (3 1/2 oz)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup mild honey
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Special equipment: a 9- to 9 1/2-inch (24-cm) springform pan
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F.
- Oil pan and dust with chestnut flour, knocking out excess.
- Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan until fragrant and interior of nuts are pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Rub nuts in a kitchen towel to remove any loose skins (some skins may not come off).
- Cool nuts to room temperature and chop medium-fine.
- Sift together chestnut flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl, then stir in nuts.
- Beat together egg yolks, oil, honey, and 2 tablespoons sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 8 minutes with a handheld.
- Add flour mixture and mix at low speed just until flour is moistened.
- Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt in another medium bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until they form soft peaks.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar a little at a time, beating, and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.
- Fold one third of whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
- Spread batter in pan and rap pan on work surface once to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake 30 minutes, then loosely cover with foil and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes more.
- (Cake is naturally dark.)
- Transfer cake in pan to a rack and cool 30 minutes, then remove side of pan and cool completely.
- Remove cake from bottom of pan to serve if desired.
olive oil, chestnut flour, hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, honey, sugar, springform pan
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chestnut-and-hazelnut-cake-109756 (may not work)