Makes a 3 layered 15cm round cake

INGREDIENTS

Hazelnut Cake
250g unsalted butter, softened
225g (1 cup) caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
375g (2½ cups) self-raising flour
100g (1 cup) Lucky Hazelnut Meal
250ml (1 cup) milk
45g (⅓ cup) Lucky Natural Hazelnuts, roasted and chopped (to decorate)

Chocolate Frosting
120g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150g unsalted butter, softened
200g (1⅓ cups) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Hazelnut Praline
75g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
2 tbsp water
45g (⅓ cup) Lucky Natural Hazelnuts, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 140°C. Grease 3 x 15cm baking pans and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, mix together butter and sugar until fluffy and combined. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, flour, hazelnut meal and milk and beat till mixture is smooth.
3. Divide uniformly between prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean). Remove pans from oven. Leave aside for 10 minutes. Gently loosen the sides of the cake with a blunt knife and turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make Chocolate Frosting – Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, but don’t let it harden.
5. In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter till smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla essence. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy.
6. To make the Hazelnut Praline – Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and starts boiling.
7. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush sides of pan to remove any sugar crystals. Increase heat to medium and boil for 5-6 minutes until caramel starts to form. Stir in hazelnuts, remove from heat and pour mixture onto the prepared tray. Take extra care, as the mixture is extremely hot.
8. Leave aside until cool and hard. Break into pieces and press down on the top of the cake.
9. Assembly – On a cake plate or stand, place a little frosting in the centre and place one layer of the cake (so the cake does not move about while frosting).
10. Spread about ¼ cup of chocolate frosting. Place the second layer. Repeat. Place the last layer upside down to get a flat top.
11. Spread chocolate frosting on the sides and top of the cake.
12. Decorate with roasted chopped hazelnuts by pressing them with your palm against the sides (lower half) of the cake. Top with hazelnut praline and chocolate sauce (optional).

Recipe by @sugaretal