Name: Langhe hazelnut cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300 g Nocciola Piemonte (150 g to chop and 150 g to grind into pure hazelnut paste.); 50 g Tipo 00 flour; 150 g Sugar; 3 pieces Eggs; 16 g Baking powder; 5 g Butter (For the pan.)

Adapted from Carlo Zarri’s Cortemilia cake, this combines chopped hazelnuts with pure hazelnut paste. Grind half the nuts to a paste and keep the other half in small pieces. Whole eggs beaten with sugar give the batter lift before the flour and nuts are folded in.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 30 min
Rest: 45 min
Serves: 8
Difficulty: Easy

Langhe hazelnut cake

Prep 25 min · Cook 30 min · Rest 45 min · Serves 8 · Difficulty Easy

Method

Heat the fan oven to 160°C. Grease a 22 cm round cake pan with the butter and line its base with baking parchment. Chop 150 g hazelnuts into fine, distinct pieces.Heat the fan oven to 325°F. Grease a 8¾ in round cake pan with the butter and line its base with baking parchment. Chop 5½ oz hazelnuts into fine, distinct pieces.
Process the other 150 g hazelnuts in a small food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides, until their oils turn the nuts into a smooth paste. Work in short bursts and pause if the bowl becomes hot.Process the other 5½ oz hazelnuts in a small food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides, until their oils turn the nuts into a smooth paste. Work in short bursts and pause if the bowl becomes hot.
Beat the whole eggs with the sugar for about 5 minutes, until pale and thick. Stir a spoonful of this mixture into the hazelnut paste to loosen it, then fold the paste back into the beaten eggs.Beat the whole eggs with the sugar for about 5 minutes, until pale and thick. Stir a spoonful of this mixture into the hazelnut paste to loosen it, then fold the paste back into the beaten eggs.
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Fold them into the egg mixture, then fold in the chopped hazelnuts. Pour into the prepared pan and level gently. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out without wet batter.Sift the flour and baking powder together. Fold them into the egg mixture, then fold in the chopped hazelnuts. Pour into the prepared pan and level gently. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out without wet batter.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out carefully, remove the parchment and place on a rack for about 30 minutes more. Slice when cool.Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out carefully, remove the parchment and place on a rack for about 30 minutes more. Slice when cool.