Flourless chocolate and hazelnut cake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5. Spread the hazelnuts over a baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes until just starting to colour. Remove and cool. Set aside 50g for later, then whizz the rest to a coarse breadcrumb-like texture in a food processor. Turn the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan/gas 3½.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of gently simmering water and melt without stirring. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the egg yolks with a balloon whisk.
3. In a large, spotlessly clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. Continue to beat, slowly adding the sugar to make a thick, glossy meringue, with all the sugar completely dissolved.
4. Gently stir the whizzed hazelnuts and amaretto into the chocolate mix, then beat in 1 large spoonful of meringue. Carefully fold in the remaining meringue mixture using a metal spoon. Spoon it very quickly into the lined cake tin and bake for 50-55 minutes until risen and firm but still squidgy. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack (right way up) to cool completely. It’s normal for a flourless cake to sink and crack a little.
5. Roughly chop the served hazelnuts. Dust the cake with cocoa powder and scatter over the chopped nuts and cocoa nibs. Serve with créme fraîche.