Hazelnut Torte

This European-style torte gets its structure from beaten eggs and ground hazelnuts rather than butter. Five eggs, separated and handled carefully, give the cake a light, airy crumb that still has real substance from the nuts folded through.

Beat the yolks with sugar for a full 5 minutes until they turn pale and thick. That ribbon stage is what builds the cake’s height since there’s no creamed butter here to trap air. The whipped egg whites folded in at the end provide the final lift, so fold gently in three additions to keep as much volume as possible.

Ground hazelnuts mixed with the sifted cake flour replace some of the flour’s role, adding a toasty, earthy richness that plain cake can’t touch. Blanch the nuts first by boiling for 5 minutes and slipping off the skins. Those papery skins taste bitter and leave dark flecks in the crumb.

Split the cooled cake into two layers and fill with vanilla whipped cream and the remaining ground hazelnuts. Chill it well before serving so the cream sets and the layers hold when sliced.

Pro Tips

• Grind the hazelnuts in small batches, about ¼ cup at a time. Too many at once and you’ll make nut butter instead of a fine grind.
• Use a springform pan and grease it well. This torte is delicate and won’t survive being flipped out of a regular pan.
• Whip the cream until it holds firm peaks before folding in the sugar and nuts. Soft cream collapses under the weight of the top layer.

Variations

• Top with fresh strawberries fanned across the whipped cream for color and a bright, tart contrast.
• Replace hazelnuts with almonds for a classic Austrian-inspired variation.
• Add a thin spread of raspberry jam between the layers before the whipped cream for a fruity accent.