Norwegian chocolate hazelnut cake

Method
Prep:20min  ›  Cook:40min  ›  Ready in:1hr 

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease the bottom of a 26cm springform cake tin.
2. Reserve 8 whole hazelnuts for garnish. Pulse the remaining nuts in a food processor until ground, and reserve 1 tablespoon of ground nuts for decoration.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, cool.
4. In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until thick and pale (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add flour, baking powder, salt, and ground nuts, mix well. Continue to beat mixture while slowly adding the cooled melted butter until blended (mixture will be thick). Transfer the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin then invert onto a serving plate then remove tin base. Cool fully.

For the icing:

6. In a medium saucepan bring the cream to the boil then immediately remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread over the top of cooled cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Sprinkle reserved ground nuts around top edge and arrange whole nuts over ground nuts. Enjoy!