Wiener Hazelnut Cake.

by a tale

Another January birthday came up and we celebrated with hazelnut cake, covered in icing resembling the freshly fallen thin snow layer on rough grassland and Berlin streets. We lit several candles, snuggled into our seats and had loads of cups of tea.
This recipe is adapted from Sarah Wiener’s “La Dolce Wiener”.

WIENER HAZELNUT CAKE.

hazelnuts, grounded – 250 grams
hazelnuts, halfed – 200 grams (keep the most beautiful once for decorating)
eggs – 4
butter, soft – 250 grams
sugar – 200 grams
salt, a pinch of
vanilla sugar – 2 teasp of
flour – 250 grams
baking powder – 2 teasp of

ICING
icing sugar – 200 grams
water, a little bit

Heat oven at 175 °C. Seperate eggs and beat eggyolks, butter, sugar and vanilla sugar until foamy. Afterwards beat egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Lay on eggyolk mixture and sift flour, baking powder and grounded nuts above. Blend thouroughly but not too intensely.
Put half of the dough in a well buttered spring form. Place all of the halfed nuts on the first layer, then add the second half of the dough. Let cook for about one hour.
Once ready, take out of the oven and let cool. When cooled, gently take the cake out of the spring form. Stir powder sugar and as much water as needed to get a viscous icing. Pour over cake and even at the edges so everything is completely covered. Start decorating with the left over hazelnuts.