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upside down cake topped with nuts

Hazelnut cake

Tender, and light hazelnut cake sprinkled with nutmeg and orange zest.

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword hazelnut cake, hazelnut dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 inch pan

Ingredients

For the syrup and toppings

  • 1/2 Cup Light brown sugar (100 g / 3 oz)
  • 1/4 Cup Honey (85 g / 3 oz)
  • 6 tablespoons Unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces (85 g / 3 oz)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Cup Whole roasted hazelnuts (140 g / 5 oz)

For the cake

  • 2/3 Cup Roasted hazelnuts (90 g / 3 oz)
  • 3 Tablespoons Potato starch (27 g / 1 oz)
  • 1/2 Cup All-purpose flour (60 g / 2 oz)
  • 1 teaspoon Clabber Girl® Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Clabber Girl® Baking Soda
  • 3/4-1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Ground Nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons Spice Islands® Orange Zest
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter, softened (113 g / 4 oz)
  • 1/4 Cup Granulated sugar (50 g / 2 oz)
  • 1/3 Cup Honey (85 g / 3 oz)
  • 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup (- 2 tablespoons) Full fat sour cream, at room temperature (100 g / 3.25 oz)
  • 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

To make the syrup

  1. In a medium sauce pan, pour the honey then add the light brown sugar, butter pieces, and salt.

  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

  3. Line an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper, pour the syrup into the pan then evenly spread the hazelnuts over. Set aside.

To make the cake

  1. Preheat oven to 335F

  2. Using a food processor, process the hazelnuts and potato starch until finley ground.

  3. Move the ground hazelnuts into a medium bowl, then mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and orange zest, set aside

  4. In a bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and honey on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

  5. Increase speed to medium-high and add the vanilla extract followed by the eggs, one at a time waiting for the first egg to fully incorporate before adding the second. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

  6. Reduce speed to low, and add the hazelnuts-flour mixture in three additions altering with the sour cream starting and end ending with the dry mixture. Add the last portion of the flour mixture using a rubber spatula.

  7. Scoop the cake batter into the prepared pan over the syrup and hazelnuts, then use an offset spatula to evenly spread it.

  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean at the center of the cake.

  9. Remove, allow to cool for 2-3 minutes then invert the cake onto your serving plate, or an 8-inch cake board.

Recipe Notes

  • Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature.
  • If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer.
  • The cake is also great when baked "naked" meaning without the syrup or extra hazelnuts. You may need to reduce the baking time to 25 minutes.
  • If you do not have potato starch do not replace it with cornstarch. Increase the amount of flour to 3/4 cup (90 g) instead