Flourless chocolate hazelnut cake

Our first recipe contributed by Brigid from our March 2010 gathering.

Ingredients (serves 10)
200g dark chocolate, chopped
150g butter, chopped
6 eggs, separated
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, blitzed until it is meal with a few lumpy bits for texutre
1-2 cups dried dates or dried figs
Creme de cao or any liquor to soak the fruit in

Chocolate icing
300g dark chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup pure cream

Method
Preheat oven to 170 degrees (150 for fan forced). Grease a big round cake tin.

Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place date or figs in a saucepan with liquer and simmer gently until fruit is very soft. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place eggs yolks and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick and creamy. Add chocolate mixture. Beat to combine. Add hazelnuts, beat to combine. Add fruit and liquer, mix well.

Place eggwhites in a bowl, using electric mixer beat until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, stir one third of eggwhites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining eggwhite through chocolate mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Icing
Place chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook stirring constantly for 3 - 4 minutes or until smooth. Spread over top and side of cake . Stand for 10 minutes or until icing has set. Serve with double cream or icecream.

Now I know why I didn't need breakfast today!

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