Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
This chocolate hazelnut cake is a true showstopper. The cake is made with moist chocolate cake layers, chocolate hazelnut filling, chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting, hazelnuts, and Ferrero Rocher candies. With the chocolate and hazelnut flavors, this cake is great for holiday baking. This cake tastes like heaven for Nutella lovers.
Ingredients for Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Chocolate Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Dark cocoa powder – Use dark unsweetened cocoa powder for the best chocolate flavor. My favorite is Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder which is a dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baking soda + baking powder
- Salt
- Milk – Room temperature.
- Eggs – Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Or your preferred neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Hot coffee – Coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate cake. Use hot water if preferred.
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread – I prefer to use Nutella brand. Use your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Salt – A pinch of salt contrasts the sweetness of the frosting.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the chocolate and hazelnut.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream helps the buttercream whip up to be smooth and creamy.
Additional Ingredients
- Chocolate hazelnut spread – For filling the cake and to drip down the sides of the cake.
- Ferrero Rocher candies
- Hazelnuts – Roasted, chopped hazelnuts to add a bit of crunch.
How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper circles.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Add in the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Pour the boiling water into the cake batter and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the cake layers: Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake layers for approximately 30 minutes. Cool the cake layers in the pans and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the chocolate hazelnut buttercream: Whip the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until it is light, pale and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, vanilla extract, and salt and mix well. Drizzle in the heavy cream. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the buttercream for 2 to 3 minutes until it has a smooth and creamy texture.
Assembling the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Fill and stack the cake: Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut buttercream to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Use a piping bag with the tip cut off to pipe a small border around the edge of the cake layer. Fill the center of the cake with chocolate hazelnut spread. Add the second layer and repeat the same process. Add the final cake layer (bottom side up) to the top of the cake.
- Crumb coat the cake: With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting and to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes.
- Frost the cake: Add a generous layer of the chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove the excess frosting and to smooth the sides of the cake. Chill for an additional 20 minutes.
- Make the drip: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate hazelnut spread for about 30 seconds to melt. Set aside to cool slightly. Pour the melted and cooled chocolate hazelnut spread onto the chilled cake and use an offset spatula to spread it over the top and dripping down the sides of the cake.
- Decorate the cake: Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe swirls of the chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting on the top of the cake. Decorate the chocolate hazelnut cake with Ferrero Rocher candies and chopped hazelnuts.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the best cake ever!
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- To learn how to assemble and decorate the cake, be sure to check out my tutorial on how to frost a layer cake and how to make a drip cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cake?
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture. Cover any exposed cake with plastic wrap to prevent the cake from drying out.
Can I use different sized cake pans?
- Yes! You could also make this recipe with three 8-inch pans or two 9-inch pans. The baking tim will vary with the different pan sizes. For 8-inch pans, start checking the cake layers around 25 minutes and for 9-inch cake pans, start checking the cake layers around 30 to 35 minutes.
Other Recipes You Will Love
- Chocolate hazelnut cupcakes
- Chocolate hazelnut cookies
- Brownie cookies
- Chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting
- Chocolate cupcakes
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Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Yield: 12 servings
This chocolate hazelnut cake is a true showstopper. The cake is made with moist chocolate cake layers, chocolate hazelnut filling, chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting, hazelnuts, and Ferrero Rocher candies. With the chocolate and hazelnut flavors, this cake is great for holiday baking. This cake tastes like heaven for Nutella lovers.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (65 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) baking soda
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) salt
- 2 (2) large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) milk room temperature
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237 ml) hot coffee or boiling water
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (300 g) chocolate hazelnut spread
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (450 g) chocolate hazelnut spread for the cake filling and drip
- 12 (12) Ferrero Rocher candies
- ¼ cup (30 g) chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper circles.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the room temperature eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined. Pour the hot coffee into the cake batter and gently whisk until combined and smooth.
- Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to create even layers. Bake the cakes for approximately 30 minutes in the oven until the cakes spring back when gently touched or toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake layers in the pan for about 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a serrated knife to level the cake layers once they are completely cooled.
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until it is light, pale and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until fully combined. Add in the chocolate hazelnut spread, vanilla extract and salt and mix until well combined. While mixing on low, drizzle in the heavy cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the buttercream for 2 to 3 minutes until it has a smooth and creamy texture. Mix the buttercream on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembling the Cake
- Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut buttercream to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Use a piping bag with the tip cut off to pipe a small border around the edge of the cake layer. Fill the center of the cake with about ⅓ cup of the chocolate hazelnut spread. Add the second cake layer and repeat the same process.
- Add the final cake layer (bottom side up) to the top of the cake. With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm the frosting.
- Add a generous layer of the chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove the excess frosting and to smooth the sides of the cake. Chill for an additional 20 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate hazelnut spread for about 30 seconds to melt. Set aside to cool slightly. Pour the melted and cooled chocolate hazelnut spread onto the chilled cake and use an offset spatula to spread it over the top and dripping down the sides of the cake.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe swirls of the chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting on the top of the cake. Decorate the cake with Ferrero Rocher candies and chopped hazelnuts.
Notes
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE–So good so moist, I have pretty much switched form my regualr chocolate cake recipe to exclusively this one! The filling, the buttercream, everyhting was a dream; it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten!!
Hi Lyndsey! I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
This recipe was so incredibly good! The cake was moist, and the buttercream was so yummy and smooth! It went directly into my make-again cookbook!
Hi Lyndsey! So glad you loved the recipe!! I’m happy to hear that it is one you are going to make again!! 🙂
I am going to make this for my boyfriend’s birthday but I only have 2 9 inch pans. Will this work and what adjustments should be made? Thank you!!
Hi Chelsea! The baking time will be a bit longer. You will likely want to start checking the cakes between 30 and 35 minutes to see if they are done.