Cake

Hazelnut Cake Recipe

Name: Hazelnut Cake Recipe
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 100 g soft butter; 90 g sugar; 1 tsp vanilla sugar; 1 pinch of salt; 2 eggs (size M); 100 g all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 80 g ground hazelnuts; 50 ml milk

A classic that never goes out of style. Perfect for a cozy afternoon coffee or simply as a sweet little treat in between.

Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

100 g soft butter
90 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs (size M)
100 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
80 g ground hazelnuts
50 ml milk

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top/bottom heat). Grease the loaf pan and dust with flour or breadcrumbs.
2
Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt with a hand mixer for 2–3 minutes until creamy.
3
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds each.
4
Mix the flour with baking powder and fold it in along with the ground hazelnuts.
5
Add the milk and mix just until a smooth batter forms.
6
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
7
Bake in the preheated oven for about 40–45 minutes. Don’t forget the toothpick test!
8
Let the cake rest in the pan for about 10 minutes after baking, then turn it out and let it cool completely.
9
Dust with powdered sugar before serving. A simple, honest cake that always hits the spot.

Video

Hazelnut Cake Questions

Why did my hazelnut cake turn out dry or heavy?

The most common cause is overbaking, so start the toothpick test toward the lower end of the 40-45 minute window rather than waiting for the timer to run out. A second cause is overmixing after the flour goes in - the recipe says to fold in the flour, baking powder, and hazelnuts and to mix only until the batter is smooth, because working it longer develops the flour and makes the crumb tough. Also make sure the butter is genuinely soft before creaming, since cold butter won't hold the air that keeps the cake light.

Can I swap the hazelnuts for other nuts, and can I use whole hazelnuts instead of ground?

Yes, ground almonds or walnuts work in the same 80 g quantity, since the nuts here act as part of the dry mixture folded in with the flour. If you only have whole hazelnuts, grind them finely first - coarse pieces don't absorb moisture the way ground nuts do and will change the batter's texture. Toasting the ground hazelnuts briefly in a dry pan and letting them cool before folding them in gives a deeper nutty flavor without altering the recipe.

How do I store the cake and how long does it stay good?

Let the cake cool completely as the recipe directs before wrapping it, otherwise trapped steam will make the surface soggy. Kept in an airtight container at room temperature, it stays moist for several days - the ground hazelnuts and the 50 ml of milk help it hold moisture. Add the powdered sugar only just before serving, since it dissolves into the cake as it sits.

Can I prepare anything in advance?

You can grease and flour the loaf pan and weigh out all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, ground hazelnuts, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt - hours ahead. The finished batter, though, should go straight into the preheated oven, because the baking powder starts working as soon as it meets the milk and eggs and loses lift if it sits. The baked cake itself is a good make-ahead: bake it a day early, let it cool fully, and dust it with powdered sugar right before it goes on the table.

Does it matter that the eggs and milk are cold from the fridge?

Yes - cold eggs added to the creamed butter can make the mixture curdle or split, which costs you some of the air you beat in over those 2-3 minutes. Take the 2 eggs and the 50 ml of milk out along with the butter so everything is at room temperature, and add the eggs one at a time as the recipe says, beating about 30 seconds after each. If the mixture does look separated, a spoonful of the measured flour stirred in will usually bring it back together.