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 milk or buttermilk.
- Eggs – Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Or your preferred neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Boiling water – Hot water helps bring the batter together. Substitute with hot coffee 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.
Tools & Supplies for Making the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Cake pans – three 7-inch round cake pans
- Parchment circles
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Offset spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
- Cake turntable
- Cake circle – 8 inch
- Large cookie scoop
- Cake scraper
- Piping bags
- Wilton 1M piping tip
How to Make the Components for the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare three 7-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper circles.
- Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, 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. Whisk to combine. Pour the boiling water into the cake batter and gently stir until the batter is combined and smooth.
- Bake the cake layers: Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the batter for even layers. Bake the cake layers for approximately 30 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool. Level the cake layers with a serrated knife when completely cooled.
- Make the chocolate hazelnut buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, 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 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
- 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. 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 chocolate hazelnut cake with Ferrero Rocher candies and chopped hazelnuts.
Check out my baking tutorial blog post to learn more in depth information on how to frost a layer cake.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips blog posts to learn how to bake up the best cake layers and to make the perfect buttercream frosting.
- If you want the same flavors in cupcake form, check out my recipe for chocolate hazelnut cupcakes.
- Be sure that the chocolate hazelnut spread drip is slightly warm when pouring and dripping onto the chilled cake. If it is too hot, it will melt the buttercream and if it is too cool, it will not spread or drip well.
- Store the chocolate hazelnut cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover any exposed cake with parchment paper to prevent the cake from drying out. Serve the cake at room temperature for the best results.
Click here to see a quick video on how to assemble and decorate this chocolate hazelnut cake! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Equipment
- 3 7-inch round cake pans
- Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chocolate hazelnut spread for the cake filling and drip
- 12 Ferrero Rocher candies
- ¼ cup chopped hazelnuts optional
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans using nonstick cooking spray and parchment 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, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the boiling water into the cake batter and gently whisk until combined and smooth.
- Divide cake batter between the three prepared 7-inch 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.
- Remove pans from the oven and allow the cake layers to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring 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. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Â
- 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.Â
- 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 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 â…“ 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
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