Chocolate Nutella Cake
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 745kcal
This chocolate Nutella cake is rich, moist, and topped with a creamy Nutella buttercream frosting and perfect for hazelnut flavor fans.
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly: spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off – don't scoop and pack the flour into the cup)
- ¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed cocoa-see FAQ section in the post for questions)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons hazelnut extract (I used LorAnn Oils extract)
- 1 cup buttermilk, near room temperature
- 2 large eggs, near room temperature
- ¾ cup hot coffee or hot water
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature (2 sticks) (If you don't have salted butter, just use all unsalted and add a pinch of salt.)
- ½ cup Nutella spread
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon hazelnut extract (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 - 5 cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (or spray) two, 8-inch round cake pans that are 2 inches deep. (Alternatively, use parchment paper on the bottom of the pans.)
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients for the cake (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar). Mix well with a whisk and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the liquid ingredients (vegetable oil, vanilla extract, hazelnut extract, buttermilk and eggs) to a mixing bowl and whisk well. Do not add the coffee or hot water yet.
- Add those liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. (Not the hot coffee or water yet.) Mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed only until the ingredients are well combined (about 15-20 seconds). Be very careful not to mix too long or at too high a speed, as that will cause a dense, rubbery, and possibly dry cake.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium speed for only about 5-10 seconds more.
- Add the hot coffee (or hot water) and mix on medium speed until well combined (about 15-20 seconds). Again, be careful not to over-mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 5-10 seconds more. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bang the pans on the counter slightly to pop the bubbles a bit. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 25-35 minutes. Ovens vary, so start watching closely at about 25 minutes. It may take a little more time depending on your oven. A toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer should come out with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but no raw batter. If the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs and no raw batter, go ahead and remove the cake layers from the oven. Baking cakes for too long will cause them to turn out dry.
- Set the cake layers on wire racks to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then turn them out of their pans and let them cool completely on the wire racks before adding the frosting.
For the frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, Nutella, vanilla extract, hazelnut extract and 1 tablespoon of milk with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder and mix on low until combined, then on medium until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- Add 4 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until combined, then on medium to medium-high until fully incorporated. The confectioner's sugar can be added a bit at a time, so it doesn't make a mess. Start with 4 cups and then test the texture and taste. If it's good, stop there. If it's too thin or you want it even sweeter, feel free to add a bit more confectioner's sugar. If it's too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk and mix again. Repeat if needed to reach the desired consistency.
- Optional: Mix on low speed for a couple of minutes to make the buttercream smooth, or mix on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes to make it light and fluffy.
- Once the cake layers are cooled, add the frosting and enjoy.
Notes
*Dutch-processed cocoa is different from regular unsweetened cocoa powder. See the FAQs in this post for more details on why it shouldn’t be substituted.
How to Store: Store this cake, covered well, at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, store this cake in the fridge to prolong its freshness. Storing cake in the fridge will make it cold, which in turn firms up the cake texture. If it's stored in the fridge, just be sure to set it out about 20-30 minutes ahead of time to bring it closer to room temperature, so the cake texture softens again. Alternatively, you can pop a slice into the microwave for about 10 seconds.
How to Serve: This cake is best served near room temperature.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions you might have. Nutritional values are an estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
Calories: 745kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 1020IU | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg