CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170C/ 325F/ Gas mark 3.
• Toast all the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes. Make sure they do not burn. Allow to cool, set aside 4 tbsp for the topping and grind the remaining nuts to a fine powder in a food processor.
• Melt the chocolate and butter for the cake in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Let cool.
• In a bowl, beat the egg yolks for about 2 minutes, or until they go pale in colour.
• In a separate, large bowl, with a clean whisk or beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together until soft peaks are formed. Add sugar in stages, beating continually, until stiff peaks are formed.
• Add the beaten yolks to the melted butter and chocolate mixture and whisk lightly. Add half the whites and gently fold together with a spatula. Transfer this to the bowl with the remaining whites, add the ground nuts and gently fold everything together.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the sides of the torte come away from the pan, and a skewer inserted into the middle of the torte comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
• For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter together as described above. Add 2 tbsp warm water and stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and allow to cool. Spread over the top of the torte using a palette knife. Roughly chop the reserved hazelnuts and sprinkle over the middle of the torte to decorate.