Chocolate Hazelnut Gravel Cake
Chocolate Hazelnut Gravel Cake
Serves 8
Plant Based / Dairy Free
Chocolate and hazelnuts. Not much else needs to be said when you have this combination!
A rich cake with wonderful textures, not too sweet, yet bold, decadent and satisfying. This is marvellous with a cup of tea or coffee, for breakfast, or whenever you crave something to delight your senses and offer delicious sustenance.
Ingredients
30g ground golden linseed, mixed with 100ml water
100ml plant based milk (we use soy)
Juice of half a lemon
200g raw whole hazelnuts
200g dark chocolate (plant based)
200g plant based butter (we use Naturli)
200g soft brown sugar
30ml vegan Baileys liqueur (optional)
1tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
2tbsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
Method
Preheat the oven at 170C.
Grease and line a 20cm springform tin.
In a small bowl, mix the linseed with the water and set aside.
In a small jug, mix the milk and the lemon juice and allow it to curdle.
Place the hazelnuts in a large frying pan and dry roast them, stirring constantly, for a few minutes. Once they are fragrant and begin to crackle, transfer them onto a cloth. Twist them in a tight bundle and vigorously rub them to remove their skins. They do not need to be perfect, we just want some of the skins removed. Take a rolling pin or a pestle, and bash the nuts in the cloth, so that some of them break into somewhat smaller pieces. They should resemble gravel. Place them in a colander and shake them to get rid of the skins. Set aside.
With a large knife, roughly chop the chocolate till it resembles gravel, just like the hazelnuts.
In a mixer, beat the butter and the sugar until fluffy and creamy. Add the soaked linseed, the curdled milk, the Baileys and the vanilla. Blend well. The mixture will appear curdled but do not worry, it is supposed to. Stir in the flour, the baking powder and the salt and mix until just incorporated into a thick batter. Using a spatula, fold in two thirds of the hazelnuts and two thirds of the chocolate.
Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and smooth the surface. Scatter the remaining hazelnuts and chocolate on top. Place in the oven and bake for one and a half hour. Cover loosely with baking paper or foil once it is browned nicely on the surface. Test the cake with a skewer or knife to make sure its done and remove from the oven. Allow to cool before taking the cake out of the tin and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are loaded with fibre, nutrients and healthy fats. They are rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.
Hazelnuts have been shown to increase antioxidant protection in the body. They are linked with lower rates of cancer. They may help keep the heart healthy and decrease inflammation.
Dark Chocolate
Believe it or not, dark chocolate is very nutritious. Consumed in moderate amounts, it can provide our bodies with soluble fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and other minerals. It is packed with antioxidants and has been shown to be good for the heart, to regulate good and bad cholesterol and to improve brain function.
