HUNGARIAN HAZELNUT TORTE Recipe

Grease 2 (8 inch) round cake pan. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper cut to fit. Grease the waxed paper. Grind the unblanched hazelnuts finely in a blender or coffee grinder. Separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff but still moist. Whisk the egg yolks with 10 tablespoons of sugar until they are pale lemon in color and the mixture trails off the beater in ribbons. Fold the ground nuts and egg whites alternately into the egg yolks. Divide the mixture equally between the 2 cake pans and bake in the center of an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set. Test by pressing the top of the cakes with a finger - it should leave no impression. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to shrink slightly before turning them out to cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Cream the butter until fluffy and sift the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and coffee together. Beat this gradually into the butter. When the cakes are cool, sandwich them together with the filling. Set the torte aside while preparing the caramel topping. Put 2 tablespoons of water and 6 tablespoons of sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir the contents over low heat until dissolved into a clear syrup. Increase the heat and boil the syrup rapidly, without stirring, until it is a rich golden color. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and pour most of the caramel over the top of the cake. Spread it evenly with an oiled knife and mark the topping into portions with the tip of a knife. Garnish the top quickly with the whole nuts before the caramel hardens. The remaining caramel can then be trickled over the nuts.