A fantastic pound cake with toasted hazelnuts and a deep flavor. The crumb is moist but not too dense, and the cake keeps very well and can be frozen.
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Originally published in April 2012, the text and images have been updated to serve you better. The recipe remains the same.
Hazelnuts are like the prodigal son. When they make an appearance, they get noticed.
They're usually paired with chocolate (ever heard of Nutella? lol), and it's a fantastic pairing. These fudgy hazelnut brownies vouch for that. And I also add them to my homemade granola.
This pound cake is good with both plain and toasted nuts. The latter brings out the flavor in them, so it's recommended.
Toasting nuts is a comforting smell that silently speaks of good baking things to come. I don't think I ever came across a recipe that wasn't enhanced by toasted nuts.
This dense pound cake is full of flavor and perfect for afternoon tea. Or a cup of good coffee.
What are hazelnuts
They are the fruit of the hazel tree and can also be known as filberts.
They're brown, round with a pointed edge, and have an outer hard shell and a papery skin surrounding the nut.
The main issue I hear about using these nuts is that they need to be skinned, which is not hard but can be a little laborious, so many people avoid baking with them.
Nowadays, you can buy blanched (no papery skins) raw hazelnuts and also blanched roasted hazelnuts. So there's no excuse.
Ingredients
- Hazelnuts: they need to be skinned and lightly toasted.
- Sour cream: use full-fat, regular sour cream for best results.
- Unsalted butter.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Sugars: granulated white and light brown sugar are used.
- Flour: all-purpose or cake flour can be used for this recipe.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Baking powder: used as leavener to help the cake rise, so make sure it isn't expired.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
- Hazelnut liqueur or hazelnut oil: optional but recommended. Both can be purchased online.
- Powdered sugar: it's used for the glaze. Also called confectioners or icing sugar, you can easily buy it online. Domino powdered sugar is a very popular one.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
Hazelnut oil or liqueur
Hazelnut oil: it's not well known but adds a lot of flavor to this cake. It can be used for the glaze too. You can buy roasted hazelnut oil online.
Hazelnut liqueur: I use the Italian Frangelico liqueur and love it. I bought it because the bottle was so lovely. It has the shape of a monk and comes with a rope belt. Through the years, I came to realize how precious this liqueur is. A splurge for sure.
How to make hazelnut pound cake
Ground the hazelnuts but be careful they don't start to release the oil and become pasty.
The cake batter is a simple butter cake with added sour cream for moisture.
Prepare the pan with a strip of parchment paper to ease with removing it after it's baked.
The final loaf cake will rise, crack, and be dry on top.
Vintage Kitchen tip: don't overbeat after adding the flour. Mix *just* until well integrated and smooth. Otherwise, it might develop some gluten and toughen the cake, making it less tender.
The glaze
Powdered sugar glaze: it's the simplest and best for pound cakes, in my opinion. Simply mix the sugar with a liquid.
I use hazelnut liqueur for this cake, but you can use milk or cream. Maybe add a few drops of hazelnut oil if you have some to enhance the flavor.
Toasted hazelnuts: chop coarsely and sprinkle them before the glaze sets. They add crunch and flavor.
Baking pound cakes
- Pan: it's important to use the right-sized one. The batter should fill no more than ¾ of its capacity.
- When is it done? Pound cakes can take a while to fully bake. Take the given baking time as a guide because it might take you more or less. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
- How to prevent over browning: if the top is browning too much and the inside is still not done, cover the cake loosely with aluminum paper. It will prevent further browning while the cake continues to bake.
Variations
- Nuts - instead of hazelnuts, use another nut. Lightly toast them for a deeper flavor.
- Glaze - chocolate goes extremely well with hazelnuts. We love a chocolate ganache for this cake.
- Kid-friendly - use hazelnut oil and not the liqueur. Use milk or cream for the powdered sugar glaze.
- Pan variation: besides using a loaf pan, you can double the recipe and use a tube or bundt pan (12 cup capacity). The baking time will be longer.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pan: it should be filled to ⅔ of its capacity or ¾ at the most.
- Storage: it keeps well for a few days at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap or cake dome. You can also freeze it for a month, well wrapped.
- Serving: you can eat it plain, glazed, or with whipped cream and fruit like cherries, plums, or berries.
Related recipes you might like:
Hazelnut Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, skinned, see Notes below
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons Frangelico, hazelnut liqueur or 1 teaspoon hazelnut oil, optional but recommended
For the glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur or milk. Or a mix of both.
- 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, optional for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Butter or spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan or a 9-inch (24cm) springform pan.
- You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two long sides. The two short sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the cake from the pan.
- In a food processor, pulse the toasted hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until finely ground. Take care not to over-grind the hazelnuts to the point where they start to release oil (if you keep on, it will eventually become nut butter), or the cake will be oily and heavy. Set the nut mixture aside.
- Cream the soft butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the remaining granulated and brown sugars, and cream the mixture until it is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping the sides of the bowl a few times. Don't worry if the mixture looks separated or curdled; it will come together when you add the flour.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
- Add the nuts and mix well to combine.
- Add this to the butter in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with flour.
- Mix *just* until incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Add the hazelnut liqueur or the oil and mix well with a spatula.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It should spring back if you lightly touch it.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes or so.
- Run a smooth-bladed knife around the pan's edge to ensure the cake is not sticking. Remove the cake by lifting the ends of the parchment paper if used.
- Remove the strip of paper and let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack.
- This cake tastes better the second day and lasts up to 5 days, well covered in plastic wrap, foil, or in an airtight container.
For the glaze:
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until completely smooth.
- Drizzle over the cool loaf and let drip down the sides.
- Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts before it dries.
Notes
How to skin hazelnuts:
Spread the hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan, single layer, and bake in a 350ºF (180°C) oven, for about 7 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and the skins will begin to crackle. Watch closely, as they burn easily, and shake the pan several times during baking so they bake more evenly. Transfer the toasted nuts to a bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel, bundle the nuts in the towel and set aside just until they are cool enough to handle. Rub the nuts briskly while still inside the towel, then open it and use your fingers to rub the papery skins from the nuts. Don't worry if some of the nuts refuse to be skinned. Store in an airtight container.Adapted from In the Sweet Kitchen, by Regan Daley
Ellen says
I love hazelnuts and can't wait to try your recipe.
What size loaf pan did you use?
It looks longer and narrower than a 9x5" pan.
Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Ellen! Mine is 10x4 and the closest I could find that is standard is 9x5. The images can sometimes give a different impression when it comes to measurements.