Made with hazelnuts in lieu of cake flour, this is a cake to enjoy for breakfast.  Based on a formula from nutritionist, Lucy Davies, I’ve scaled it up, switched in with hazel and added baking powder for lift. I’ve also used coconut sugar as my sweetner – it’s my current obsession and I often find myself distracted by thoughts of that burnt caramel flavour which is all things coconut sugar.

Packed with protein and relatively low in sugar, this is a cake to launch you right for the day ahead.

Happens to be dairy free and gluten free too.

Source

5 large eggs, separated

75g ground hazelnuts (I toasted whole hazelnuts and then whizzed in the food processor, once cool.)

80g ground almonds

60g coconut sugar

1 tsp baking powder, gluten free if needs

Zest from an organic, large orange

1 tsp vanilla paste

Good pinch of salt

Action

Line an 8” baking tin with greaseproof paper and heat the oven to 180c.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks form.  Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks, coconut sugar, vanilla paste and orange zest. Stir in the ground nuts and baking powder to form a thick paste

In two goes, fold the egg whites in to the mix. Go gently, using a spatula, to retain all that precious air.

Spoon the batter into your prepared tin.  The mix will pretty much fill to the edge of the tin – don’t worry as this cake isn’t a high riser.

Bake for ten minutes and check to see if the top of the cake is catching – if so, loosely cover with foil and bake for a further ten minutes or so. Dip a thin knife into the centre of the cake – if it pulls away clean, your cake is done.

Allow to cool completely.  Enjoy piled high with yoghurt and blueberries, or neat with an espresso for breakfast.