Italian Passover Flourless Hazelnut Cake
When the Israelites left Egypt more than 3,300 years ago, they were in a bit of a hurry and didn’t wait around for their bread to rise. Observant Jews still commemorate their exodus by skipping the leavening, and during the eight days of Passover, regular flour is not used in food preparation for fear that it may have come into contact with water, thereby activating the rising process. I see baking without flour ground from grains as an opportunity for creativity. In that spirit, here is a historic Jewish recipe that complies with the special rules of Passover.
Introduction
One ancient recipe for a nut flour cake comes from the Piedmont region in Italy. Italy boasts one of the longest continuously residing Jewish communities in the world. The first Jews arrived in Roman Italia in the 2nd Century BCE. Italian Jews adopted local ingredients to prepare dishes for their holidays.
Here is a traditional hazelnut cake recipe that is perfect for Passover.
Ingredients
2 cups ground hazelnuts
2 eggs, separated
5 tbls. butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 3
Mix the butter, sugar, egg yolks, salt, and ground hazelnuts.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff.
Step 5
Fold the egg whites into the hazelnut mixture.
Step 6
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Step 7
Bake for 40 minutes.
Step 8
Allow the cake to cool completely before inverting it onto a serving platter.