This is one of my favorite cakes ever. My mom has an old friend from some time she spend in Germany, and her nick name is Thomchen. This delicious hazelnut-chocolate loaf recipe come from her, so I have always known it as Thomchen-cake.
The cake is typically German in its use of hazelnut meal, which makes it wonderful rich and not overly sweet. You can use toasted or raw hazelnuts with equal success, the taste will be a little different, but I can’t say which is better.
Ingredients:
- 100 g hazelnut meal (or hazelnuts) (3.5 oz)
- 125 g butter (4.4 oz)
- 200 g sugar (7 oz)
- 3 eggs
- 125 ml milk (0.5 cup)
- 150 g flour (5.3 oz)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 100g chopped hazelnuts (3.5 oz)
- 100g chopped dark chocolate (3.5 oz)
Method:
1. Grind the hazelnuts to meal, if needed. You can use a regular food processor for this.
2. Chop the chocolate and the remaining hazelnuts coarsely.
3. Grease 2 loaf tins and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 175 C/ 350 F.
4. Mix the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time.
6. Mix in the milk.
7. Add the flour, hazelnut meal and baking powder and mix well.
8. Add the chopped nuts and chocolate.
9. Scrape the dough into the prepared tins and spread it out.
10. Bake for about 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You may have to cover the loafs with foil by the end if they get too dark.
11. Let cool for 5-10 min in the tin on a rack, then take out of the tins and place on a rack to cool completely.
Rich, delicious without being super sweet – it is easy to eat more than one piece! I think this is a little different than many load style breads and cakes you get in the US.
more than dough 