This Buttermilk Chocolate-Nut Loaf is a rich and elegant cake with a deep double chocolate and almond flavor. The recipe is my variation on famed French pastry chef Pierre Hermé’s version, published in his Desserts by Pierre Hermé.
Although Hermé’s original is certainly excellent, there were specific things that I prefer about my cakes. First, if a recipe calls for milk, I prefer using buttermilk for a richer, moister crumb, and this requires the addition of baking soda. Second, Hermé uses chunks of chocolate, which I felt is unne;cessary because the nuts already provide contrasting texture. Thus, I melt the chocolate. Third, he uses almond paste. I substituted marzipan because it is slightly softer and moister and a bit sweeter. Finally, I added a bit of almond extract and believe almost all cakes require at least a little salt to bring out the flavor.
In making this Buttermilk Chocolate-Nut Loaf, I highly recommend that you use top-quality cocoa powder and chocolate in order to bring out its superior taste. Here I used Valrhona cocoa and Lindt 70% Excellence Chocolate.
The Preparations
Be sure the buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature. If you can find whole-milk buttermilk, that is by far preferable. I always use Five Acres Buttermilk, which I find a superior product.
Line the bottom of a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with wax paper, then thoroughly butter the pan. I happen to have only 8 1⁄2- by 4 1⁄2-inch loaf pans, which is slightly too small to accommodate all the batter. If you have this smaller-sized pan, fill it just to the two-thirds mark, and pour the remaining batter into a muffin tin or small ramekins—otherwise it will overflow.
Whisk together thoroughly the flour, cocoa, baking power, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients.
Melt the chocolate in a pan placed over simmering water. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate.
Melt the unsalted butter and set aside to cool.
If you can’t find already roasted and skinned hazelnuts, place raw hazelnuts on a pan in a 350° oven for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Toast the hazelnuts.
When well toasted, wrap them in a towel or paper towels, and rub them vigorously to remove as much of the skins as possible. You can’t hope to remove every bit of skin.
Skin the hazelnuts.
Place the blanched almonds (either slivered or whole) on a pan in 350° oven and toast 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
Toast the almonds.
Chop all three nuts coarsely and set aside. If you are using slivered almonds, as I did, you need not chop them.
Center a rack in the middle of the oven, and stack two baking sheets, placing them on the oven rack. Hermé recommends this to insulate the cake and prevent burning. Preheat the oven to 350°.
The Batter
Put the sugar and marzipan in a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment.
Combine the marzipan and sugar.
Beat at medium speed until the marzipan breaks up and blends with the sugar.
Beat the marzipan.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition.
Add the eggs.
Replace the paddle attachment with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture at high speed for 10 minutes, until it forms and emulsion and the whisk leaves tracks.
Emusify the mixture.
On low speed, add the cooled, melted chocolate to the mixture until combined.
Stir the almond extract into the buttermilk. Continuing at low speed, add the buttermilk until combined.
Then add the dry ingredients one cup at a time until well combined, and homogenous.
Beat in the dry ingredients.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, and fold in the nuts with a rubber spatula.
Fold in the nuts.
This next step is possibly the trickiest part of the recipe. Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the cooled, melted butter 2 tablespoons at a time, making sure it is thoroughly incorporated without over mixing.
Fold in the butter.
Your goal is to be certain the butter is well incorporated, so that it won’t sink to the bottom of the cake when baking, while not overdoing the mixing.
The Baking of the Buttermilk Chocolate-Nut Loaf
Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans, and bake the cake for 60-65 minutes. Do not over bake or the cake will dry out. A tester inserted into the cake may not come out completely clean. Hermé recommends that the tester comes out clean, but I find that the cake is over baked at that point. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding. When unmolded, peel off the wax paper, and allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap.
The cake will remain fresh for several days if it is properly wrapped. Serve fairly thin slices of the cake because it’s quite rich.
Buttermilk Chocolate-Nut Loaf is delicious on its own, but is also wonderful served with a scoop of vanilla or pistachio ice cream.
