Video
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Soft, fluffy and moist hazelnut cake layers with sweet and creamy chocolate hazelnut buttercream frosting. This is a dreamy combination and perfect to celebrate the holidays or a sophisticated birthday celebration!
Ingredients
Cake batter:
- 6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) olive oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (100g) roasted hazelnuts, finely ground
- 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
Frosting:
- 10 tablespoon (140g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ⅓ cups (160g) powdered confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon (6g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
- 3 tablespoon (60g) Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
- 3 oz (85g) extra dark 85% chocolate (I like this one), melted and cooled
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the sides of two 8-inch round cake pans and dust with flour. Line the base with rounds of parchment paper.
- Roast the hazelnuts. Place raw hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly and then rub off skins using a tea towel. You can also toast them in a dry frying pan over medium heat with frequent shaking so they toast evenly.
- Make the cake batter. Transfer cooled hazelnuts to a food processor and pulse until hazelnuts are very finely ground.
- Beat soft butter with sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes on medium-high speed until very pale. Beat in eggs one a time until very pale (almost white) and fluffy. Mix in ground roasted hazelnuts.
- Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add half of it to the butter/egg mixture and mix on medium-low, then gradually pour in the milk and mix until it becomes smooth. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and slightly firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before inverting. This cakes will shrink slightly as they cool.
- Make the frosting. Combine soft butter with icing sugar and beat until very smooth, pale and fluffy. Sift in cocoa powder and mix it in. Mix in Nutella. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix it in. Finally mix in salt and cream, then beat on high for a few seconds so the frosting becomes fluffy.
- Spread half of the frosting over the bottom cake layer, replace top layer and then cover with remaining frosting. Decorate the top with extra ground hazelnuts and a few Ferrero Rocher truffles.
