flour & eggs

Christmassy Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake

There is something quite remarkably festive about hazelnuts and chocolate together. It’s no wonder coffee shops use exactly this combination in their Christmassy coffees, and so I thought I would jump on this band wagon and create a simple sandwich cake that anyone can just throw together at a moment’s notice, should some distant relative drop in. It really is so simple; just bung everything into your food processor then bake.

ingredients

• 100g butter or margarine
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp milk
• 50g chopped hazelnuts 

(for the icing and filling)

• 70g softened butter
• 230g icing sugar
• 1tbsp milk
• 1tbsp cocoa powder
• 50g hazelnuts, crushed

method 

1. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (fan).
2. Throw all of the ingredients into the processor and blend until just mixed. If you don’t have a processor then put everything into a large mixing bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. 
3. Divide between the two tins and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. When baked, remove from the tins and allow to cool.
4. Meanwhile, make the buttercream by blending the ingredients together in a food processor. Again, if you are without a processor then do it with a handheld electric whisk, or using you hands (literally). 
5. Use half of the buttercream to fill the two cakes together (bottom to bottom) and the remainder to spread on top and over the sides. Crush another 50g hazelnuts and sprinkle all over the cake.