Hazelnut Brown Butter Spelt Cake
Photography by Ola O. Smit
Prop styling by Anna Wilkins
Recipes & food styling by Sam Dixon
Ingredients
For the cake
250g unsalted butter
300g light brown sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp of vanilla essence
300g toasted blanched hazelnuts, finely ground
140g white spelt flour
1 tsp of baking powder a pinch of grated nutmeg
1 tsp of salt
For the praline
100g toasted hazelnuts
100g caster sugar
For the icing
150g soft butter
150g light brown sugar
2 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla essence
300g cream cheese
For the poached pears
4 ripe pears
700g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
4 star anise
1 lemon cut into two
Instructions
For the cake
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Put butter in a pan and melt on a low to medium heat, until the butter turns a golden brown and flecked – keeping a close eye on it as it can easily burn. Transfer to a bowl and let cool and solidify a little.
Butter and line a 9” cake tin.
Cream the soft brown butter together with the sugar until light and fluffy in a freestanding mixer or with an electric whisk.
Gradually add the eggs one at a time, beating in as you go along with the vanilla essence.
In a separate bowl whisk together the spelt flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Fold the flour mixture into the egg and sugar mixture lightly until combined. Pour into cake tin and put in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.
For the praline
While the cake is baking, line a baking tray and have the toasted hazelnuts ready.
Heat up the sugar with a teaspoon of water in a heavy-based pan on a medium to high heat until the sugar caramelises.
Once it’s a lovely deep caramel colour, quickly take off the heat and stir in the hazelnuts. Then pour over the lined baking tray and spread out quickly.
Leave it to cool and harden, once its brittle break some of it into shards and roughly chop the rest.
For the poached pears
You can do this ahead of baking the cake, or while it’s baking. Peel the pears, leaving them whole. Put into a big saucepan along with the rest of the ingredients, squeeze the lemon halves and put them in too, filling with enough water to cover.
Bring to boil and then lower the heat letting them simmer for 30 mins. Leave to cool.
For the icing
Cream butter and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Beat in maple syrup, cream cheese and vanilla, until it’s a softly whipped buttercream.
To assemble
Once the cake is completely cool and you have all your other components ready, take the cake out of the tin carefully, by running a knife round the edge and put the sponge onto a serving plate or cake stand.
Carefully spread the icing over the top – you don’t have to be too neat, it’s quite nice if it’s all soft and billowy.
Slice some of the poached pears into halves or quarters and keep some whole if you like, and place on top of the icing (you can always cut the pears after serving so everyone has a sizeable piece).
To finish, scatter over some of the praline shards and serve.
Note: This cake keeps for at least 5 days as the hazelnuts keep the sponge moist.
