Cinnamon Nutella Cake

This is the season for Kentish Cobnuts, a beautiful elongated kind of hazelnut, traditionally cultivated in Kent.  Freshly cracked from their shells, they are almost milky and have a delicious softness and bite.  Paired with this gently spicy cinnamon and Nutella Cake, they are quite special.   You can use hazelnuts, but don't use old ones from the store-cupboard as they smell rancid and affect the taste of the cake.

I found this recipe on-line, I think originally a BBC Good Food recipe, and it gave me a great opportunity to use up some Nutella at the same time!  The Nutella, despite being put into the cake 3/4 the way up, dived to the bottom, but it may have been because I was a bit generous with the spoonfuls....  Whatever... it was delicious.

Cinnamon Nutella Cake

Cinnamon Nutella Cake

8oz/225g self raising flour

6oz/175g  butter or spread at room temperature

6oz/175g  caster sugar

3 large fresh eggs

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

4tbsp milk

4 rounded tbsp Nutella or similar spread

2oz Kent Cobnuts or hazelnuts, chopped roughly

Preheat oven to 180 deg C.  Line an 8” cake tin with parchment and grease the sides.

In a food processor or Kenwood, blend the cake ingredients except for the Nutella and nuts together and then beat until pale and fluffy.   Pour ¾ of the mixture into the tin, level it and add the spoons of Nutella.   Pour on the last of the mixture, swirl it with a skewer or knife, and add the chopped nuts.

Cook for 1 hour to 10 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven) until risen and golden brown.  To test, the cake should have come away from the edges slightly, and if you put a (heated) knife or skewer into the middle, it will come out clean.   If it looks too brown, cover with foil. 

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before tipping the cake out of the tin onto a wire rack, peeling off the paper and leaving it to cool.