There is a version of this cake in almost every household in the Langhe hills. No flour, no leavening beyond beaten eggs, just hazelnuts, butter, sugar, and time in the oven. It comes out dense and fragrant, with a faint crunch at the edge and a tender crumb inside. We eat it at room temperature, with nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar.
Hazelnuts carry the whole structure here. That means the quality of the nut matters in a way it does not when chocolate or heavy spice is doing most of the work. We use our chopped hazelnuts, which are already processed to the right texture for folding directly into batter.
The cake keeps well for two days at room temperature, covered loosely. It is better on day two than day one.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake tin and line the base with parchment paper.
Place the chopped hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until they reach the texture of coarse flour. Do not over-process: stop as soon as the meal is uniform, before the oils begin to release.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and 3.5 oz of the sugar together until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg yolks one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
Add the ground hazelnuts to the butter and yolk mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks. Add the remaining 1.75 oz of sugar and continue beating to firm, glossy peaks.
Add one third of the beaten whites to the hazelnut batter and stir vigorously to lighten. Add the remaining whites in two additions, folding gently with a spatula to preserve the volume.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin before unmoulding. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
You made Torta di Nocciole. Time to eat.
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The hazelnut meal texture is the most important variable in this recipe. Too fine and the cake becomes gummy at the centre. The right grind looks like rough cornmeal, not smooth powder. If your food processor tends to run hot, pulse in 5-second bursts and let the motor rest between them.
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