Nutella Cake with Chocolate Ganache

I had a family dinner this weekend at my Aunt Peggy's house and was asked to bring dessert, when asked what to bring I was told, "Chocolate!" See exhibit A:

Nutella Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache Adapted from Nigella Lawson
Cake:
6 large eggs, separated
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 13-ounce container Nutellla
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Ganache:
4 ounces whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup half and half (she calls for heavy cream but I was out, half and half worked well)
1 tablespoon rum
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degree

Cake
1.Spray a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a large bowl (preferably metal, I did mine in my kitchenaide), whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and Nutella, then add the rum, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts.
4. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, on 30 sec intervals until it is melted. Stir in melted chocolate to nutella mixture.
5. Add a blob of beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well-combined. Fold in the remaining whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly.
6. Pour into springform and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing finger into top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from pan. Let cool completely, in pan, on a rack.
Nuts
7. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet (I did mine in my toaster oven in a small round cake pan) shaking them around frequently. Do it for about 4 minutes, or until they are lightly browned, then let cool completely. If hazelnuts came with skins on, put them in a towel after toasting and rub around; this will remove most of the skins. (My daughter liked helping with this part, and she ate a few too- she loves raw nuts!

Ganache

8. Chop chocolate, and add to sauce pan with half and half and rum over medium-low heat. Once chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until mixture reaches desired thickness, then cool.

9. Remove rim of cake pan and pour cooled ganache over, pour close to rim of cake so that a small amount spills over for presentation, and apply hazelnuts all over.

*This was a hit, everyone loved it!

* I suggest serving with a good vanilla bean ice cream, to cut the richness.

*Notice the small piece, a little goes a long way!

Linked to Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, & Tuesdays At the Table.