Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

This is a light cake that isn’t too sweet or rich. The hazelnuts give a delicious texture. Recipe (1/2 batch)
from Joy of Baking.

Ingredients
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/8 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
3 ounces (170 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2-3 ounces (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup granulated white sugar(divided)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).

Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until nuts are brown and fragrant and the skins are starting to peel away from the nuts. Remove skins. Place nuts in a food processor, along with the flour and salt, and process until hazelnuts are finely ground. Set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter the pan. On a stove melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside. Beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until pale and thick. Beat in the vanilla extract.

With a rubber spatula gently fold in the warm chocolate mixture and the nut and flour mixture. Set aside while you whip the egg whites. In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, at medium speed, until foamy and then add the cream of tartar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/8-1/4 cup sugar, beating at high speed until stiff but not dry. Quickly fold in the remaining whites. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake shows moist crumbs. Cool the torte completely in the pan on a wire rack. It will rise and then fall in the center, leaving a higher rim of cake around the sides and there will also be some cracking and crumbs. Once the torte has cooled completely remove from pan.