Its my birthday, so I can bake what I want to!

Oh dear, what a mess, completely stuck to the pan! We had to just eat it out of the cake tin. So I know what is first on my christmas list! Springform pan! Thankfully it was delicious and it was my birthday, so I can have a rubbish falling apart cake if I want to. Its a lovely cake with a crispy top and dense chocolatey middle that most people will only want a little sliver of, being that its so rich

I'm so glad I halved the recipe, this was enough for about 12 people already, it would have fed a gigantic army! This almost overflowed in my 9" cake pan.


I also got a wonderful bunch of flowers, thanks to my mum, and being the total nutcase I am, I got all sad to find them sitting on the doorstep as they might have been there all day. Gosh I'm silly!












Bitter Chocolate Roasted Hazelnut Torte -adapted from River Cafe cookbook two-Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

250g shelled hazelnuts
250g bittersweet chocolate
250g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
6 medium eggs (I used 5 large)

Preheat the oven to 300f. Line a 9' springform pan with buttered parchment paper

Roast the hazelnuts in the preheated oven for about 20 mins. If they have skins then you can remove them by rolling in a tea towel.

Put the nuts in a food processor and pulse until they are roughly chopped. Dont let them become a fine flour.

Break the chocolate up and melt over a double boiler.

Meanwhile, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating between eggs. Add the melted chocolate, mix and then fold in nuts.

Pour the mix into a cake tin. Cook for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out dry. Leave in the oven for a further 30 mins with the door open a little, then wait to remove from the tin until cooled.

Chocolate Ganache Topping
2oz heavy cream
2oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 oz butter

Heat cream until nearly boiling, add chocolate, stirring. Add butter then drizzle over cake. Top with hazelnuts