Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

1/4 c (2 oz) Belgian dark chocolate,grated,or dark
chocolate chips
2 Tbsp cocoa powder,sifted through a fine - meshed sieve
2 Tbsp corn starch,sifted through a fine - meshed sieve
2 Tbsp ground hazelnuts
1/4 c unsalted butter,softened
2 1/2 Tbsp icing sugar,sifted through a fine - meshed sieve
4 extra large eggs,separated
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
hot water
cocoa powder or icing sugar for dusting
orange ice cream
whipped cream
fresh mint leaves

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Grease a 9" glass loaf pan,( I spray the pan with Pam )
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler,or in a glass dish
of simmering water.

Combine the sifted cocoa powder,corn starch and ground hazelnuts.
Mix really well !

In a bowl,beat the softened butter and half the icing sugar
until light and creamy.Beat in the egg yolks,vanilla and almond
extract.Beat for about 2 minutes.Mix in the melted chocolate,
a teaspoon at a time.Mix well.

In another bowl beat the egg whites with the remaining icing
sugar,cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form.Fold in one - third
of the cocoa mixture,then gently fold in the remainder of the cocoa
mixture.

Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.Do not over - mix.
Gently spoon into greased pan.Place the pan in a glass baking dish,
fill half - full with boiling hot water.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle
comes out clean.Cool the cake in the pan.

To serve,slice the cake thinly and dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar.
Serve with a small scoop of orange ice cream and/or whipped cream
and decorate with a fresh mint leaf.

Note: I bake my cake in a convection oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.