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Hazelnut Hobbit Cake

Anne Willhoit
Many of us have developed traditions and rituals that get us through the winter. Pairing food preparation with certain times of the year not only picks us up, but also helps us to observe seasonality—just as we love the heat of tomato season, we love the coziness of winter.
Plus, this gives us an excuse to gather together, whether it's a big feast or a fireside chat with mugs of tea, probably with a special treat on the table. These things can ground us, help us to be present. I have made this hazelnut cake on Thanksgiving, for holiday brunches and, most often, as Bilbo Baggins' birthday cake when our found family gathers to celebrate Hobbit Day every September. I never want to eat a gingerbread cookie in July and likewise, I only want to eat this cake when the days are short and friends are near.
This spiced cake is studded with nuts and seeds in a glossy honey-caramel coating, and like an upside-down fruit cake, you're going to use the technique of making a syrup in the pan, sprinkling on nuts and seeds, then baking the cake batter right on top. When it's flipped out of the pan, you'll see there's no further decoration needed. It is its own centerpiece.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Servings 1 10-inch cake

Ingredients
  

For the honeyed nuts

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup mixed seeds and grains, such as pepitas, nigella, poppy, sunflower and millet

For the cake batter

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks)
  • 1⅓ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup whole milk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (fresh, if possible)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Melt the butter. Rotate and tilt the pan so a bit of the butter goes up the sides to grease it. Turn off the heat, then add the honey, cinnamon and brown sugar to the pan.
  • Whisk in the pan until smooth before sprinkling the hazelnuts and seeds evenly over the honey mixture in the skillet. In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
  • Mixing on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
  • Pour the cake batter over the nut mixture in the skillet, making a spiral from the outside in. Gently spread the batter evenly. Do not stir!
  • Bake for 55–60 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick in the center. As soon as you take the cake from the oven—the honey nut mixture is still piping hot, and will move!—immediately invert the cake onto a flat plate or rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  • Wrap tightly to store.

Notes

If you have a trusty, well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet, I'd recommend putting it to use here. The cake will release perfectly. If you don't have a skillet, sub in a 9- or 10-inch cake pan. Make the honeyed nuts in a separate pan on the stovetop. Butter the cake pan, then spread the warm nut mixture quickly and evenly over the unlined bottom. Proceed with the recipe, using the toothpick test at the end to see if you need 3–5 more minutes.
Image by Anne Willhoit.
Keyword baked goods