Torta od Ljesnjaka - Hazelnut Cake

Ingredients :

• 8 eggs, separated

• 1 1/4 cups castor sugar

• 250g ground hazelnuts

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Hazelnut Cream Ingredients :

• 200g butter (unsalted)

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup cream

• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder

• 2 tablespoons hot water

• 200g. ground hazelnuts

Instructions :

Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Lightly fold in ground hazelnuts, breadcrumbs and lastly the egg yolk mixture
Pour into a round 24cm greased cake tin and bake in a moderate oven for 40-45 minutes. When cool cut horizontally into 3 layers. Rejoin the layers with hazelnut cream and cover the entire cake with the remaining hazelnut cream. If desired decorate with roasted hazelnuts.

Hazelnut Cream Instructions :

Dissolve coffee powder into hot water and beat butter and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Add cream and coffee and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Fold in ground nuts.