Tiroler Cake is extremely moist, fudgy, very delicious and is the perfect small batch recipe. This simple chocolate hazelnut loaf cake is great for any sweet craving, or when you need a quick dessert for a small crowd. The combination of hazelnuts and chocolate result in a heavenly, moist cake. You’ll be making this loaf over and over again!

What is Tiroler Cake?

Tiroler Cake is one of my favourite cakes. It’s simple and doesn’t take too much time to make – a huge plus in my book! I absolutely love any cake with nuts in it, because ground nuts (nut meal) make cakes super moist – and I LOVE moist cakes. For instance, my classic Swiss Carrot Cake is also made with nuts, and I couldn’t imagine a more delicious, moist carrot cake!

The Tiroler Cake also calls for a good amount of chocolate, which is another reason I love it. Nuts and chocolate are THE best combo in my opinion. Especially hazelnuts and chocolate. Those two ingredients just pair really well!

So, naturally, the Tiroler Cake is always a hit. It’s moist, a bit fudgy, not too sweet, and it’s really tasty.

If you need any more convincing about nuts and chocolate in a cake, do try my delicious, moist Torta Caprese – it’s made with almond meal, lots of chocolate and a wee bit of Amaretto. And: it’s naturally gluten-free, so you can definitely please a lot of people.

Where does Tiroler Cake come from?

Tiroler Cake originally comes from Tyrol, Austria. But the cake has become such a classic that every German-speaking country seems to call it their own – the cake is served for dessert in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

The Tiroler Cake I am introducing you to today is made with a small twist. From what I know, the cake is normally served with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. But I actually quite like having a thin layer of melted chocolate on top. So, I went ahead and used a store-bought chocolate glaze that has tiny waffle pieces in it for a little bit of extra crunch.

How to make Tiroler Cake

Making the Tiroler Cake is a super simple and quick process. You only need a couple of ingredients, and I am sure you already have them in your cupboard/fridge. I suggest using a stand mixer, possibly with two bowls, so you can speed up the process of making the batter.

1. First, you’ll need to grease and line your 20 cm long loaf pan (8 inches).
2. Then, in the bowl of your (stand) mixer, beat your egg whites stiff.
3. In another bowl, cream together butter, the remaining egg yolks, salt and vanilla for about 3 minutes. The mixture needs to be pale and fluffy.
4. Next, you need to fold in the ground hazelnuts (hazelnut meal) and the chopped roasted hazelnuts. Adding in the chopped hazelnuts is totally optional – they just add a bit of texture to the cake. If you do use them though, I strongly suggest using roasted ones. To roast hazelnuts, spread them on a baking tray and bake at 160°C convection (320°F) for about 15 minutes. After baking, let them cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then rub the nuts in a kitchen towel to remove most of the skin. Afterwards, chop the nuts.
5. Fold in the flour and baking powder, followed by the stiff egg whites.
6. Lastly, carefully fold in the chopped chocolate. Please do not overmix – when you fold in the egg whites and also the flour/baking powder, you are simultaneously incorporating some air into the batter, and you definitely don’t want to get rid of that by mixing the batter too long.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is nice and golden.
8. Let the cake rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then lift it onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle on powdered sugar or pour on some melted chocolate!

All in all, you need to plan about 1.5 to 2 hours for making this cake. Preparing the batter definitely doesn’t take that long, but depending on your level of patience, the baking might be a bit of a hard task 🙂 And definitely plan enough time for the cake to cool! If you’re in a real hurry, I think you might even get away with putting your loaf in the fridge, so it cools a bit faster. But definitely don’t skip the 10 minutes of cooling time in the pan itself and the 20 minutes on the counter – afterwards, you are free to do what you want with it. Read on for more tips on storing the cake.

And let’s quickly take a moment to enjoy my ingredient/process shots. I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone when I shot this recipe, but it was totally worth it to try something new!

How to store Tiroler Cake

As I mentioned already, after letting the chocolate hazelnut loaf cool on the cooling rack for around 20 minutes (at room temperature), you can of course leave it at room temperature until you sprinkle on powdered sugar or pour on melted chocolate. If you don’t plan on eating the cooled cake right away, wrap it in aluminium foil and leave it at room temperature. Alternatively, you can wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminium foil and place it in the fridge.

Can I make the cake in advance?

This cake can definitely be made in advance, and you can store it in the fridge until ready to eat. I wouldn’t keep it longer in the fridge than a week, though. You can also freeze it up to 1 month.
Make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil!

And if you’re eating it the same day as baking it, or a day after, you can definitely keep it at room temperature too, though (or in the fridge if you love COLD cake). As the cake gets older, the cake really gets moister, and the flavours intensify. If you have the chance, I suggest making the cake 1-2 days in advance. Be sure to wrap in plastic wrap!

Small batch, cupcakes and adaptations

The Tiroler Cake is a great small batch option. At the moment, we’re going through some quite unsettling times, and I know we aren’t meeting as many people as we once did. So, we also don’t need recipes that feed a huge crowd. This chocolate hazelnut recipe is suitable for a small, 20-22 cm long loaf pan (8 inches). It should feed about 6-10 people, depending on the width of the slices and how hungry your guests/family/friends are.

The recipe can easily be adjusted for a bigger crowd. I find it easiest adjusting the recipe according to the number of eggs – because no one needs half an egg in the fridge 🙂

• If using 4 eggs, use a loaf pan that is about 25 cm long (9 inches). This would be enough for about 10-14 people.
• If using 5 eggs, use a loaf pan that’s about 27 cm long (10 inches). This cake should feed about 12-18 people, or even more folks if the slices are cut thin.

If you like, you can also make the Tiroler Cake into cupcakes. Line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners, fill in the batter until about 2/3 full, and bake for 16-22 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick! The normal recipe with 3 eggs makes about 20 cupcakes, so you could definitely scale the recipe up or down.

Can I add sour cream?

If you’d like a tangier cake, I suggest adding in ¼ cup of sour cream (that’s about 60 ml). The texture of the cake will be a bit more fudgy and chewy than without the sour cream, and it will taste slightly tangy and ever so “sour”. If you like lemon cake, you will definitely love this small twist on this chocolate hazelnut cake!

I hope you guys will love this cake as much as I do. It has always been a favourite of mine!
Be sure to comment and rate the recipe, and please tag me on Instagram!

Take care,

Joelle xx

You might also like …

• With Spring having arrived, rhubarb is also slowly but surely appearing in stores. You will absolutely love this Hazelnut Meringue Rhubarb Cake!
• If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll absolutely enjoy these Caramelized White Chocolate Fudge Cookies. Dipped in a glass of milk, you’ll never need another cookie recipe.

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