Chocolate hazelnut christmas cake

What a beautiful time of the year! 2 weeks until Santa visits and big family feasts.... But most importantly, the sun is shining on this side of the globe and the humid air is pleasantly detoxifying.. 


So everyone loves a picnic and with such a big park just waiting outside our front door, it was a very easy decision, one which of course involved a lot of baking!!

Chocolate hazelnut christmas cake

Adaption from women's weekly chocolate cake 

What you need.. 

155 grams nuttelex (dairy free butter)

155 grams gluten and lactose free dark chocolate - chopped

5 eggs - separated 

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts - chopped 

4 large cherrys 

Chocolate icing

1/3 cup lactose free cream

100 grams dark gluten and lactose free chocolate 

Pre heat oven to 160 degrees cel - Grease large round cake tin and line base and sides with baking paper. 

Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until smooth. set aside.

Beat egg yokes and sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale. Then beat in chocolate mix. 

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. 

Fold almond meal into chocolate mixture and the then slowly fold in the egg whites. 

Spoon into cake tin and then bake for about 1 1/2 hours. 

Cool on a wire rack and then dress with chocolate icing. 

To make chocolate icing 

In a small saucepan bring the cream to boil over a low heat. Remove from the heat, add chocolate and then stir until smooth. let sit for 5 minutes and then spread on cake. cover with cherrys and hazelnuts.