NORWEGIAN HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease bottom only of a 10-inch springform pan.
• Reserve 8 whole hazelnuts for garnish.
• With a blender or food processor, grind hazelnuts to a coarse meal (makes about 1 1/3 cups).
• Reserve 1 Tablespoon ground hazelnuts for garnish.
• Melt butter; set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and lemon colored, about 2-3 minutes.
• Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.
• Add flour, baking powder, and ground hazelnuts; mix well.
• Continue beating, adding cooled, melted butter gradually until well blended.
• (Mixture will be quite thick).
• Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 15 minutes; remove sides of pan.
• Run long knife under cake to loosen from pan bottom; invert onto serving plate.
• Allow to cool about 30 minutes, covered with light cloth towel.
• To prepare glaze, bring half-and-half and salt just to a boil; remove from heat.
• Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until melted and smooth.
• Spread glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down the sides.
• Sprinkle reserved ground hazelnuts around the top edge of the cake.
• Halve reserved whole hazelnuts; arrange around top edge of cake over nut garnish.
• Store in a tightly closed cake container as this cake will dry out.
• I have also frozen it successfully.