This gluten-free cake was inspired by Ferrero Rocher. For a few weeks I just couldn’t stop envisioning chocolate and hazelnuts mixed together in crunchy, creamy perfection, so in the end I gave in and made the cake. Funny thing is, the finished cake, though completely delicious, doesn’t remind you of Ferrero Rocher in any way. This cake is darker, richer, more chocolatey, less sugary and, weirdly, less hazelnutty. I think perhaps a teaspoon of hazelnut essence in the cake would have helped but I foolishly thought that making it out of hazelnuts would be enough!

There are 2 layers to this. The truffle top should definitely be considered a layer in its own right, not frosting. The bottom is a gluten-free chocolate cake made with ground hazelnuts instead of flour.

For the base:

• 4 oz hazelnuts
• 2 oz butter
• 2 oz sugar
• 1 oz cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp milk

Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a large high-sided cake tin (or 2 smaller ones), using a circular piece for the base and a rectangular strip to run around the sides, to make sure the sides are smooth. Add another rectangular strip long enough to pass under the base and stick out over the top on both sides. This will make it easier to get the cake out of the tin later since you won’t be able to turn it upside down. Use a food processor to grind the hazelnuts into a coarse flour and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to your tin and bake for about 30 minutes until fully cooked. Allow the cake to cool in the tin until fully cool before making the ganache layer.

For the top:

• 5 oz heavy cream
• 5 oz dark chocolate
• 1-2 oz hazelnuts

Grind your hazelnuts briefly until you get coarsely chopped pieces. Break or chop your chocolate into pieces. Pour the cream into a shall saucepan and heat gently until it just starts to boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in the chocolate then allow it to cool for a few minutes before pouring it over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over the top to decorate and then leave to cool and set completely. Finally, remove it from the tin and peel off the baking paper.

This cake is very rich so you only need a tiny piece at a time, although you’ll probably come back for another pretty soon! If you still need a treat for mother’s day, this would be the perfect, chocolatey choice.