Hazelnut, Vanilla and Olive Oil Cake

There are these cakes that are quite extraordinary. They surprise you. You kind of knew they would be good when you saw the recipe, but you did not expect them to be this good. This one here looks unspectacular, but it will surely belong to my favourites-list from now on! The warm nutty and vanilla flavour... the texture... it just comforted me. It fit perfectly for this icy and sunny winter-weekend.

Recipe
(from here) 

200g ground hazelnuts
50g fine polenta
50g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
125ml olive oil
100g of unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
200g brown sugar
the seeds of 2 vanilla pods
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line a 23cm (I used a 24cm) round springform pan with parchment paper and butter the rim.

Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale. Add the melted butter and olive oil. Then add the ground hazelnuts, polenta, plain flour and baking powder. Now incorporate the vanilla seeds.

Transfer the cake mixture to you springform pan and bake for about 25 minutes (I baked it for 30 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven and allow to continue cooking and cool in the tin.When cool, remove the cake from the tin and dust with icing sugar.

Serve this with a helping of whipped cream! Heaven on earth...