Sicilian Hazelnut Cake

Hazelnuts grown in the Nebrodi mountain range of Sicily are beautifully showcased in this simple cake. Light, airy and not overly sweet, this hazelnut cake is a quick and easy last minute dessert idea.

The region of Piemonte, in northern Italy, is famously known for it’s hazelnuts and an Italian hazelnut cake recipe, or torta di nocciole, which is usally flourless.

However, the Nebrodi mountains located in the north east corner of Sicily are a major producer of hazelnuts as well.

This is the part of Sicily that my parents are from and I had the good fortune to sample these freshly harvested hazelnuts firsthand last September.

Here’s why you’ll love this hazelnut cake!

• Made with few ingredients, this cake is easy to put prepare. In fact the longest part is separating and beating the egg whites before folding them into the batter. But it’s all worthwhile because the result is a cake with a light and airy textutre.
• The hazelnuts are not overly processed into a fine powder. I coarsely grind them in my food processor and they add extra texture and bite to the cake.
• Not overly sweet, this cake is all about the flavor and texture of the hazelnuts.

List of ingredients

• Roasted hazelnuts
• Eggs
• Granulated sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Powdered sugar (optional): for serving

The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.

Step by Step Instructions

• Roast the hazelnuts: placed shelled hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degrees F preheated for 15 minutes. Remove the skins and set aside to cool.
• Transfer the cooled hazelnuts to the bowl of your food processor. Process until coarsely ground.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the bottom and sides with butter.
• Whisk together egg yolks; sugar and oil in a large bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract.
• Use a rubber spatula to stir in the flour and baking powder. Next, stir in all but 2 tbsps. of the ground hazelnuts.
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until the whites form stiff peaks.
• Gently fold half the egg whites into the batter with the rubber spatula. Stir in the remaining whites until no traces of egg white are visible.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Evenly sprinkle the reserved hazelnuts over the top.
• Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. The top of the cake may crack slightly, that is ok.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.
• Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar (optional) and serving.

Recipe Notes