chocolate hazelnut cake with frangelico cream

So I found this recipe in a magazine a few years back and decided to give it a try... OH MY WORD!
I have now made it several times, each time experimenting with different "creams". The last time I baked this cake I used Patrón XO Cafe which gave it a rich coffee flavour. But you can use any liqueur or even plain cream should you wish. Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut cake with Frangelico cream

Recipe type: Cake, Baked goods

Cook time:  45 mins

Serves: 8 (1x 22cm Cake)

Ingredients: 
200g plain chocolate, chopped
175g unsalted butter
175g castor sugar
175g ground hazelnuts
5 eggs, separated
40g cocoa powder
3 tbsp boiling water

200g dark chocolate
100ml double cream

for the Frangelico cream:
100ml whipping cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp Frangelico liqueur

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease a 22cm spring-form cake tin.
Place the chocolate and butter in a heavy based pan and heat gently, stirring until melted. (Cool for 5 minutes). NOTE: Sometimes the butter splits from the chocolate and it looks like one big chocolate mess. Don't worry. It will come together in the next step. :-)

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat in the sugar, hazelnuts, egg yolks, cocoa powder and water until smooth. 
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form and then fold into the cake mixture.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for ± 35 minutes or until just firm. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Then remove from tin and cool completely.

Make the ganache.
Melt the chocolate and cream in a small heavy-based pan. leave to cool for 30 minutes or until a thick pouring consistency. Pour over the cake and chill until set.

Make the Frangelico cream.
Whip the cream, icing sugar and Frangelico together until thickened slightly. Serve with the cake.

Tips / Notes:
You could substitute the hazelnuts for almonds and then use Amaretto Liqueur instead. Or even add some Orange zest into the cake and make a Orange Liqueur cream...