Hazelnut Cake

Preheat oven to 160˚C fan forced. Place hazelnuts on an oven tray and roast for 8–10 minutes until skins begin to darken. Remove from the oven, wrap in a clean tea towel and rub to remove skins. Set 50 g hazelnuts aside. Reduce oven to 90˚C fan forced.
Allow the remaining hazelnuts to cool, then grind 250 g in a food processor until finely ground. Place ground hazelnuts in a bowl and combine with sieved flour.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites, caster sugar and salt in an electric mixer on medium-high for about 8–10 minutes until you have a thick and glossy meringue. Add the ground hazelnut mixture and gently fold through.
Draws 2 x 24 cm circles on baking paper and place on baking trays. Divide meringue between the two trays and spread to 2 cm thick. Transfer the trays to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Swap trays around and bake for a further 45–50 minutes until crisp and the bottom is cooked through and solid. Turn the oven off and allow meringues to cool for 1½ hours with the door slightly ajar.
Beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the icing sugar in batches, beating well between each addition until fully combined. With the motor running slowly, pour in the coffee and beat until combined.
Place one meringue round on a serving platter and cover with half the coffee cream. Place the second round on top and cover with the remaining coffee cream. Roughly chop the reserved hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top.