Recipe extract: Sweet Treats To Share, Choc hazelnut cake

Get creative with garnishing your cake. Photo/Thinkstock

This beautifully presented book is full of sweet treats from your favourite New Zealand bakers.

With recipes from Allyson Gofton, Alexa Johnston, Dean Brettschneider, Annabelle White, Kim Evans, Jimmy Boswell, Sarah Bowman, Granny's Kitchen and Wattie's, there is bound to be something that appeals to you.

These are the sorts of recipes you can make to share with friends and family.

There are slices, loaves, muffins, cakes, biscuits, pies and delicious desserts all beautifully photographed by Manja Wachsmuth. My mouth was watering by the time I'd finished looking through this book. You just can't beat home baking.

Note: Sweet Treats includes some gluten-free recipes. - Linda Hall

INGREDIENTS

150g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

125g butter

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup ground roasted hazelnuts

Chocolate Ganache:

250g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup cream

Hazelnut Praline:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup hazelnuts

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 20cm round cake tin and a baking tray with baking paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir to mix. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of the sugar until thick.

In another large bowl beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy.

Fold the chocolate mix and the hazelnuts into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a skewer inserted into the

middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until simmering and pour over the chocolate. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir with a knife until silky smooth. Allow to cool until the ganache has thickened slightly. To make the hazelnut praline, heat the sugar in a heavybased frying pan until golden, add the hazelnuts and stir to coat. Pour onto the baking tray to cool. Break into pieces or place in a zip-lock bag and bash into a fine crumb.

Cover the cake with ganache and decorate with hazelnut praline. Makes a 20cm cake.