This recipe originally comes from one of my favourite recipe books. It’s called Cupcakes, with recipes by Lee Currie, and it’s full of innovative recipes for different cupcakes. The one I always come back to, though, is not really a cupcake. It’s a hazelnut sponge. Over time I’ve edited it slightly, and it’s become one of my all-time favourite recipes. It’s perfect for afternoon tea on a hot day, decadent but not heavy.
When I made the cake photographed, I added cacao nibs, but I wouldn’t recommend it as the hardness just doesn’t work with the light sponge. Try to work the mixture as little as possible once you’ve beaten the egg whites and sugar, as every stir will knock some of the air out and stop it rising as much. Also, don’t forget the butter! I always do and have to hastily take it out the oven and haphazardly swirl the butter through, which is not ideal.
You can adjust the quantity of icing to suit your tastes, but beware the sponge is very delicate, so too much icing will have nothing to adhere to when you eat it. I use about half the quantities suggested in the original recipe!
For the sponge:
• 4 eggs, separated
• 115g caster sugar
• 60g self-raising flour
• 75g finely chopped hazelnuts
• 50g chopped chocolate
• 20g butter, melted
• 20cm square cake tin, greased and lined with baking paper or a reusable non-stick baking sheet
For the buttercream icing:
• 170g smooth chocolate and hazelnut spread
• 70g butter, softened
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180oC. Beat the egg whites with electric beaters until the soft peaks stage. Add the sugar in slowly and beat until the mixture becomes light in colour, glossy and has increased in volume. Add in the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Sift in the flour from a slight height, and add the hazelnuts and chocolate. Fold in gently with a metal spoon to retain the air in the mixture. Fold in the melted butter until well incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cake is light and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, cut the cake in half horizontally through the centre with a serrated knife.
- For the icing, beat together the chocolate hazelnut spread and softened butter until light and creamy. Gradually add in the icing sugar. If it is too stiff to spread, add milk a tablespoon at a time. Spread over the bottom half of the cake, then replace the top layer. If you like, you can cut up the cake into bite-size pieces and serve in cupcake cases. Proceed to scoff.
