Description
Indulge in a decadent layer cake that combines moist chocolate sponge with a luxurious whipped Nutella filling and crunchy toasted hazelnuts. Topped with a silky dark chocolate ganache and classic Ferrero Rocher candies, this dessert is the ultimate centerpiece for any celebration.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Large eggs
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Hazelnut emulsion
- Vanilla extract
- Hot water
- Heavy cream
- Nutella
- Toasted hazelnuts (whole and chopped)
- Unsalted butter
- Milk chocolate
- Powdered sugar
- Dark chocolate chips
- Ferrero Rocher candies (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease three 8-inch cake pans.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Using a stand mixer, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, hazelnut emulsion, and vanilla, then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Carefully stir in the hot water and divide the batter evenly among the three pans.
- Bake for 23–27 minutes, then allow the layers to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then blend in the Nutella and fold in the chopped hazelnuts for the filling; keep chilled.
- Make the buttercream by beating butter with a homemade hazelnut paste, melted milk chocolate, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Assemble the cake by piping a buttercream dam on each layer and filling the center with the chilled Nutella mixture.
- Crumb coat the cake, chill it briefly, then apply the final frosting and a dark chocolate ganache drip before garnishing with candies.
Notes
To achieve the best flavor, toast your raw hazelnuts until they are deeply aromatic before processing them into a paste for the buttercream. If the Nutella filling feels too soft during assembly, chill it for an additional 30 minutes to ensure the cake layers remain stable and secure.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American