Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Honey Glaze

A good, quick dessert cake for a family supper. Hazelnuts add an unusual nutty texture to this moist and delicious cake. Honey makes sweet and smooth glaze. Can you resist the temptation?



Note: This torte uses finely ground nuts instead of flour. Toast, then cool, the nuts before grinding them finely in a blender or food processor. Do not over grind the nuts, as the oils will form a paste.

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped ( I got a nice package from KALLARI, amazing organic chocolate, thank you!)
• 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 cup ground hazelnuts
• 2 tsp ground cardamom 

For the chocolate honey glaze:

• 4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 Tbsp. honey

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Crease an 8-inch springform pan: line with waxed paper, then grease the paper. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with foil to prevent water from seeping in.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until frothy, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the melted chocolate, ground nuts and cardamom. Pour into the prepared pan.

Place the foil-wrapped pan in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan, to come 3/4 inch up the side of the springform pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the edge of the cake is set, but the centerr is soft. Remove from the water bash and remove the foil. Cool on a rack.

Prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, butter and honey, stirring until smooth; remove from the heat.

Remove the sides from the springform pan and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Remove the pan bottom and paper, so the bottom of the cake is now the top. Pour the thickened glaze over the cake, tilting the rack slightly to spread the glaze. Use a metal spatula to smooth the top. Let the glaze set.