We felt it was important to offer at least one dessert for the chocoholics, and this is it: rich,

dense, and almost fudge-like in texture, with a Nutella-esque flavor profile, but all grown up. It’s

based on a classic coastal Italian dessert called torta caprese, which is usually made with

almonds, though we switched things up to incorporate hazelnuts and toasted brown butter

instead. This cake is best served cold, in petite wedges, with a dollop of whipped crème fraîche

to offset its luxuriant richness.

NOTE: Try to find chocolate with as close to 70% cacao content as possible (it will be labeled on the package),
ideally in disc (aka feve) form, though chips or chunks will work.

Cake

3 ⁄4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1 ⁄2 cups (10 ounces) dark chocolate discs (see Note)

2 1 ⁄2 cups blanched roasted unsalted hazelnuts (12 ounces)

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon plus

2 teaspoons buttermilk

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing (optional)

Topping

1 ⁄2 cup heavy cream

3 ⁄4 cup crème fraîche

1 ⁄4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 ⁄4 cup powdered sugar 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10-inch wide, 2-inch deep cake pan with

nonstick cooking spray.

Make the cake: In a large sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted

and large, foamy bubbles start to appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Swirl the pan to ensure even

cooking. The butter will make loud sputtering noises, then the bubbles will dissipate

and the noise will subside—this is when you should notice the white milk solids in the

butter turning deep golden brown in color.

Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir well until melted. Set aside too cool.

In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts until they’re ground as finely as possible, with

the texture of wet sand, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set

aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla paste, granulated sugar, kosher salt, cornstarch,

and buttermilk until well combined.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the ground hazelnuts

and stir well to combine. Pour the chocolate-hazelnut mix into the bowl with the egg

mixture and stir well to combine and create a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the

cake pan.

Bake until set in the middle and a cake tester comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan. It may deflate slightly as it

cools.

Once cool, carefully remove the cake from the pan by placing an inverted plate on top

and flipping it over. Place your desired serving plate on top of the now- upside-down

cake and flip it once more, so that it’s facing right-side up.

Make the topping: In a stand mixer with the whisk, whip the heavy cream on medium-

high speed until stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the crème

fraîche, vanilla paste, powdered sugar, and salt with a rubber spatula until combined.

Fold the whipped cream into the crème fraîche mixture with the spatula.

To serve, slice the cake into wedges and top with flaky sea salt, if using, and a dollop of

whipped crème fraîche. For a more delicate texture, serve at room temperature. For a

more dense, fudgy texture, serve chilled. Leftover cake keeps, tightly covered in the

refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Purchase Italian American from Don Angie Here