Hazelnut Coffee Cake

A sweet moist cake that brings hazelnut and coffee together!

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My light and moist hazelnut coffee cake is full of nutty hazelnut flavor and has an entire shot of Greek coffee. The combination of hazelnuts and coffee are well known to many. So, why not put them together in a delicious cake? The hazelnut really shines in this cake with the coffee in the background. It tones the sweetness down a bit and makes it feel extra rich. You’re going to want to share how delicious this is, so make a big enough pot of coffee and invite your friends over for brunch.

Why your friends will expect this

• Toasted hazelnuts
• Dark roast coffee 
• Moist, rich cake
• A sweet and delicious cake full of hazelnut and coffee flavor!

Hazelnut meets coffee

For the Cake:

• Hazelnuts
• Unsalted butter –softened to cream
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs –separated and at room temperature
• Prepared Greek coffee –here’s how to make the perfect cup of Greek coffee!
• Milk
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt

For the Frosting:

• Mascarpone cheese
• Heavy whipping cream
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Pure vanilla extract –use a good quality for the best flavor

How to make Hazelnut Coffee Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 175 °C.
• Grease a 9-inch round springform pan or a Bundt Pan with butter.
• Place the hazelnuts on a baking pan and toast them for 7-8 minutes in the preheated oven.
• While the hazelnuts are still hot, place them in a large kitchen towel and rub them together to remove as much of their skin as possible.
• Once they have cooled, lift them off the tray, dust off the skins, and pulse in a food processor until finely ground.
• Prepare the Greek coffee and allow it to cool completely.
• Whisk together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, then add the egg yolks and beat until incorporated.
• Add the coffee and whisk together. The mixture may appear curdled or broken, but it will come together once you add the flour mixture.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground hazelnuts.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2-3 batches being careful not to overmix.
• Then, mix in the milk.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff. Fold them into the cake batter.
• Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
• Bake on the center rack for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes.
• Then, use a knife to release the cake from the sides and center of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving platter.
• Once the cake has completely cooled, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar or top with the mascarpone frosting.

For the Mascarpone Frosting:

• Combine all the frosting ingredients in a bowl and beat together until thick and fluffy.

Serving

If you like, you can frost your cake with the mascarpone frosting. However, I like to dust my cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve the frosting on the side, kind of like you would serve clotted cream with scones. Whoever wants a little extra creamy sweetness can dollop the frosting on their piece. It’s already sweet enough, but the frosting makes it extra special. Instead of using the frosting, you could drizzle the top of your cake with melted chocolate or ganache. Share this with friends over coffee and enjoy! Kali Orexi!

More Cake Recipes:

• Yogurt Lemon Cake
• Greek Honey Cake
• Gluten-Free Almond Orange Cake
• Banana Cake
• Mosaiko: No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake