Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate hazelnut buttercream and freshly roasted hazelnuts. Simple to make, this cake is a Nutella lover’s dream!
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Where are my Nutella lovers??? This cake is for you. My people who will eat chocolate hazelnut spread (or Nutella) out of the jar with a spoon. Those who are baffled that there might be some other way to eat it than straight up.
Now there is. Because you can eat it with a spoon while you make this cake.
You’re welcome.
Why this recipe works
First, the chocolate hazelnut cake. It’s just SO good. Fluffy yet moist, rich but not overly so, and the perfect amount of sweet. It’s my absolute favorite chocolate cake, but with Nutella melted into the coffee. Not only does it add that perfect hazelnut taste, it also adds a bit of fluff and structure to the cake. It’s that white whale of cakes: fluffy and moist yet sturdy and reliable. It’s great for stacking nice and tall.
Then there’s the frosting. It’s so incredibly simple. Just add some Nutella/chocolate hazelnut spread to regular buttercream and WOW. It’s soooooo smooth and silky and the taste is unbelievable. The key is to ensure the spread is fresh and well-mixed before using it. The oils can separate over time, which can cause the frosting to break or become gritty and oily. Fresh spread is a great excuse to buy a new jar and have the best frosting ever.
To make this cake even more extra, I added some chopped roasted hazelnuts and mini chocolate chips. Both are optional but add crunch, flavor, and a lovely little decoration on top.
Key ingredients
Flour. Be sure to spoon then level your flour so you don’t pack it in, and always sift with a fine mesh sieve!
Cocoa powder. Sifting this is a must, as it tends to clump. Be sure you use unsweetened cocoa. Regular is preferred, but Dutched will work as well.
Sugar. Obviously! You’ll need this in the cake as well as the caramel sauce.
Baking powder/soda. Both are needed to help the cake rise properly. Be sure they haven’t been open longer than a few months or they do start to lose their umph, regardless of the indicated expiration date. And be sure they’ve been well-sealed! Any moisture getting in will stop them from working properly.
Salt. Again, needed in all elements of this cake. I highly recommend sea salt, as it helps complement the sweetness better.
Buttermilk. I always make my own by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup. I then fill it the rest of the way with room-temperature whole milk.
Oil. I prefer avocado or grape seed oil, as they are light and tasteless but still heart-healthy. Vegetable or canola oil work, too.
Eggs. Use fresh, large eggs and make sure they have reached room temperature.
Vanilla. Always use pure extract in baking, not imitation.
Hot coffee. Be sure your coffee is piping hot when you use it. You can make it as strong or light as you’d like. I prefer blond coffee in most cakes, but you really can’t taste it if you use a dark roast. It just serves to bring out a more intensely dark chocolate flavor.
Chocolate hazelnut spread. Be sure it’s fresh—if it’s separated at all or if you can see some oil on top, you’ll want to get a new jar (for baking—feel free to stir it up and eat that other jar with a spoon!).
Whole hazelnuts. Optional, but these add such a great flavor and crunch. I usually buy whole hazelnuts then roast and chop them at home, but you can buy pre-roasted and/or chopped nuts if you can find them. It’s best to roast them before chopping, as roasting makes it easy to remove the skins.
Mini chocolate chips. Again, optional, but why wouldn’t you add these??
Chocolate hazelnut buttercream. This really brings the whole cake together and adds the necessary extra bit of hazelnut flavor to the whole cake.
How to make chocolate hazelnut cake
Make the cake
1. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Don’t skip the sifting! It’s key to making this cake nice and fluffy.
2. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk very well to fully emulsify (blend) it all, especially the eggs and oil.
3. Mix hazelnut spread with hot coffee. This ensures it is fully melted and dissolved without overmixing the batter.
4. Slowly whisk hot coffee into wet ingredients. Whisk very quickly and pour slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs. If you do think you scrambled some, you can run it through your fine mesh sieve.
5. Slowly stir wet ingredients into the dry. Do this on low and immediately stop and scrape the bowl once everything is combined.
6. Beat on medium for exactly 2 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t under or over mix.
7. Bake. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester comes out with just some moist crumbs—not fully clean, as this can mean it’s over baked. Remember that it continues to bake a little when you take it out of the oven.
Assemble
8. Make the buttercream. You can also do this ahead of time but while the cake cools is plenty of time to make it and have it fresh for frosting.
9. Roast and chop the hazelnuts. Roast at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, shaking the pan to turn the nuts partway through. Let cool a few minutes then place in a clean kitchen towel and rub until the skins come off. Chop as finely as you desire.
10. Frost and decorate cake. I spread a layer of frosting then sprinkled chopped hazelnuts and mini chocolate chips. Optionally, you can drizzle a bit more hazelnut spread in each layer, too.
Enjoy
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Are the roasted nuts necessary?
No, but why risk it? Personally, I love adding texture to my cakes, but if you can’t find hazelnuts or don’t want a crunch in the cake, you can omit them (and the chocolate chips, if desired). You can also use as much or as little as you’d like. I wanted big texture, so I used the full cup of hazelnuts and probably a full cup of mini chocolate chips.
Do I have to use coffee in the cake?
Probably. You could technically use just hot water, but I have never been a fan of how this cake tastes without coffee. Trust me, you will not taste the coffee if you use light roast. If you’re worried, you can make it half strength, which should be enough to bring out the chocolate flavor.
Measure dry ingredients carefully
Always spoon flour and cocoa into your measuring cup then level with the back of a knife or other straight edge. And be sure to sift with a fine mesh sieve so your cake is nice and fluffy.
Sift your dry ingredients
Usually, you don’t need to sift the dry ingredients unless it’s cake. However, I realized that every time I tried making brownies, my cocoa left little clumps that in turn caused me to over mix my batter. Instead, sifting the dry ingredients means you can simply fold them into the wet ingredients without over mixing, resulting in a tender, fudgy brownie that’s not dense.
Use room temperature ingredients
This is another baking must. Room temperature ingredients (when called for) are non-negotiable. I have seen the difference in cakes that are tough and don’t rise. Plan ahead and make sure your ingredients have had time to sit out.
Use quality cocoa
Since cocoa is the main flavor here, you want a good brand. Opt for something organic and fair trade, if possible, because this usually means it was produced in smaller batches and thus higher quality and is often fresher, too. Plus, the flavor of the high quality cocoa is always noticeable in the brownies. My go-to is Volupta, from Costco, but some other good options are Ghirardelli, Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Anthony’s, or even Hershey’s Special Dark in a pinch.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Silicone liners for 8” cake (or for 6” cakes)
8” aluminum cake pans or 6” aluminum cake pans (I’ve found nonstick doesn’t bake as evenly)
Offset spatula (for frosting the cake)
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- prep time: 35-40 minutes
- bake time: 25-30 minutes
- total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes (plus cooling time)
servings: 12-16
Ingredients:
- 1 ⅔ cups (333g) granulated sugar
- 1 ⅔ cups (227g) flour, sifted
- ¾ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder, sifted
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda, sifted
- ½ teaspoon (3g) fine ground Himalayan sea salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt, but sea salt gives a better flavor)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) buttermilk*, room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) avocado or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240g) very hot coffee (light or dark roast is fine)
- ½ cup (90g) chocolate hazelnut spread (or Nutella)
- ½-1 cup (65-130g) whole hazelnuts, to taste
- ½ cup (85g) mini chocolate chips
- one batch chocolate hazelnut buttercream
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 325F/165C. Lightly grease and flour two 8” or 9” cake pans or three 6” cake pans (or use baking spray) and line the bottom with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This is also a great time to set your coffee to percolate (unless using hot water or espresso and hot water, which is what I do).
- In the bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl), whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, being sure to sift as instructed. I prefer using a hand whisk for this step as the whisk attachment doesn't always get the very bottom mixed in. Fit this to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You can also use a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. * I also like to make my coffee at this time so it’s fresh and hot.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Combine hot coffee and chocolate hazelnut spread. Whisk until completely combined and all spread is melted into the coffee. VERY slowly, pour coffee mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the eggs quickly and constantly to avoid scrambling them. Feel free to do it in increments if this is your first time.
- Turn mixer to low. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry. It will clump up halfway through then settle into a liquid-y consistency. Immediately turn off mixer once all ingredients are combined then scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, making sure to get to the very bottom. Beat on medium for exactly 2 minutes. Do not overmix!
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. I highly recommend using Wilton Bake Even Strips to avoid a domed cake (or you can cut this off with a large, serrated knife and have a little pre-cake snack). Gently tap pans on the counter a couple times to get some of the bubbles out.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (less if using 3 8” or 9” pans), until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs but no raw batter. Always check cakes a little early, as oven time can vary. If not using a convection oven, rotate cakes halfway through.
- Cool in pans 5-10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting. This can also be made ahead and kept refrigerated up to 2 weeks (well-sealed) or frozen up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature on the counter.
- When ready to assemble, roast then chop your hazelnuts. (This can also be done ahead and nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week or frozen up to 6 months). Place whole hazelnuts on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, shaking the pan to stir the nuts partway through. Once they are nutty in aroma and slightly darkened, remove from oven and let cool a minute or two. Place a handful in a kitchen towel and rub together between your palms until the skins come off. Continue until all skins are removed (or mostly removed).
- Let nuts cool completely then chop to no larger than your mini chocolate chips.
- Next, trim any rounded tops off of the cake layers with a long serrated knife or cake leveler. If desired, carefully cut each layer in half to make room for more filling. Place the first layer on a cake plate or board. Frost generously with the buttercream then add ⅓ to ½ of the hazelnuts (depending on how many layers you made and if you want to add some to the top for decoration). Add some mini chocolate chips, then continue stacking your cake. Optionally, you can also drizzle some chocolate hazelnut spread on each layer of filling/nuts. Once the whole cake is stacked, frost to desired thickness and decorate with more chopped nuts and mini chocolate chips.
Enjoy! Cake will last covered at room temperature 3-5 days. If traveling with it, refrigerate for a few hours first to help the frosting stay put in the car.
*You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup then filling the rest of the way with room temperature whole milk. Stir and let sit 5-10 minutes.
