Hazelnut Cream Cake
A hazelnut themed version of the popular Italian Cream Cake.
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups sifted flour (250 grams)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt use ¼ if using salted butter
- 5 large eggs separated
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (114 grams)
- ½ cup regular or butter flavored shortening (96 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup coconut more if desired
- 1 c. finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting (You May Want to Increase)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (230 grams)
- 4 oz butter, room temperature or softened (114 grams)
- 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar (300-400 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whole milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with flour-added cooking spray. If using dark cake pans, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Sift the already-sifted flour once more with the baking soda (or just whisk it really well). Stir in the salt and set that aside.
- Beat egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff; set aside.
- Cream butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl; add sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla, then add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each yolk.
- Turn mixer speed to low or do this step with a mixing spoon or heavy-duty scraper. Add the flour and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with flour. When batter is uniform, fold in the egg whites in three parts (this helps keep the batter airy). Stir in the coconut and nusts.
- Divide batter among all three pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in cakes comes out clean. Cakes will look kind of flat.
- Prepare icing. Stir cream cheese, butter and some of the sugar together, then beat until smooth. Slowly add remaining sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla. Add milk as needed to make icing creamy. Spread icing between cake layers and on top of cake.