Chocolate cake with nuts and brioche

Ingredients:

Brioche dough

• 1/2 cup semi-skimmed milk 3%
  or chocolate milk, temperature about 40 °C
• 1 tbsp. dry active yeast
• 1 tbsp plus 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups premium flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 80 - 90 g dark chocolate, melted

Nut filling

• 1 cup peeled and toasted hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation:

1. Chocolate brioche doughMix the milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the eggs. Continuing to mix, add the flour, remaining sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Beat by hand or with a mixer until smooth.
2. Add the butter and melted chocolate and, using a dough hook (or a regular whisk), mix vigorously until the dough is very soft and smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
3. Nut fillingIn a food processor, finely chop the nuts and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, continuing to pulse. Add the milk chocolate chips and pulse again.
4. The next morning, get to work: dust your work surface with flour, lay out the dough, and roll it out into a large rectangle about 1 cm thick. Spread the nut filling over the entire surface of the dough and roll it up along the long side.
5. Cut the roll into 2-2.5 cm thick rings. Place half the slices flat in a bundt cake pan, slightly overlapping the brioches. Arrange the remaining brioches in a second layer, also slightly overlapping. Cover the pan with a towel and let rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes to allow the brioche cake to rise.
6. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake the brioche pie for about 40 minutes, checking for doneness with a wooden toothpick or match. Cool the pie in the pan for 20 minutes, then on a wire rack. Serve with tea.