Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
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If you’re a Nutella lover, then you will love this chocolate hazelnut cake! Think soft and moist chocolate cake layers with a rich and creamy chocolate hazelnut buttercream. Plus, I’ve tested this recipe with dairy and without dairy and it can be made both ways!
While I have tons of homemade cake recipes, this Nutella cake has a special place in my heart. I’m a huge fan of Nutella so I love the combination of luscious creamy Nutella buttercream paired with my favorite chocolate cake.
I love making this cake for birthday parties or the holidays! You can easily adapt it into a 3 layer cake, and the chocolate cake layers are made with oil instead of butter which makes them super moist. When I was testing this recipe, I tried to add nutella into the cake batter but ultimately found the cake had a better texture without it!
If you are Nutella lover, you also would love my Nutella brownies!
Ingredients Needed
- Milk: I tested this recipe with whole milk as well as dairy free alternatives like soy and oat milk, and they all work wonderfully.
- Butter: for the frosting, you can use regular butter or vegan butter if you’re dairy-free.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: regular classic Nutella is used in this recipe, and if you want to make the cake dairy free, you can use homemade dairy free nutella or store-bought dairy free chocolate hazelnut spread.
How To Make This Cake
Combine dry ingredients for the cake.
Add wet ingredients!
Bake the cake layers.
Make the frosting then assemble the cake!
Recipe Developer Expert Tips
- There are endless ways to decorate a chocolate cake with hazelnut filling, but I like to top it with roasted chopped hazelnuts and a drizzle of Nutella.
- Don’t forget to line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. This cake is very moist and will fall apart when you try to take it out if you skip this step!
More Hazelnut Spread Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Baking FAQ
These are the topics I’m asked about most frequently:
You can get these answers and more in my frequently asked questions post!
Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting
If you’re a Nutella lover, then you will love this chocolate hazelnut cake! Think soft and moist chocolate cake layers with a rich and creamy chocolate hazelnut buttercream.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup (64.5 g) unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (225 ml) water, hot
- ½ cup (107.5 ml) canola oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil
- ½ cup (125 ml) milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream
- 1½ cup (210 g) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
- 1 cup (304 g) chocolate hazelnut spread, (like Nutella or a dairy free version, like Nutiva or homemade nutella)
- 2¾-3 cup (330 g) icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk of choice, as needed, (regular or dairy free)
- pinch of salt, to taste, as needed
For Decorating
- roasted chopped hazelnuts, for sprinkling on top
- 3-4 Tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread, melted, (for drizzling over the cake)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Spray each one with nonstick spray then line the bottoms of the pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, milk, oil and hot water into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Divide the chocolate cake batter between the two cake pans and bake for 20-26 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with no crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Once the cakes are cool you can make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and chocolate hazelnut spread until smooth and combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and the icing sugar, ¼ cup at a time until it’s the consistency you like. If you think the buttercream gets too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it’s the consistency you want. If the frosting gets too thin, add ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time. Taste and add a pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble the cake! Place the first cake layer on a cake plate and place some of the frosting on top and smooth it over. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the sides and top of the cake.
- To decorate, melt a few tablespoons of chocolate hazlenut spread in the microwave then spread over the cake. Sprinkle the top or bottom (and sides, if desired) with chopped roasted hazelnuts!
Notes
Parchment Paper: It is highly likely that the cakes may break when you try to remove them from the pan if you don’t line the pans with parchment. Lining the round pan with parchment paper will make your life so much easier when removing the cakes from the pan, trust me. To do this, trace then cut a circle in the shape of your cake pan out of the parchment paper and place it inside the pans.
Measuring Dry Ingredients: Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scoop and level method: fluff the flour in the bag/container with a fork then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then run the back of a knife along the top of the cup to even it out. Do the same for the cocoa powder.
Buttercream: This recipe provides enough buttercream to frost the cake as pictured. If you want thicker frosting on the outside or if you want to pipe or decorate the cake more, you can times the buttercream ingredients by 0.5.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. I store mine in a cake carrier.
To freeze the cake layers, let them cool completely, then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, then aluminium foil. Freeze in ziploc bags for up to 3 months, then let them thaw at room temperature.
Leftover buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge then mix it up using a handheld or standing mixer before using it.
To make as cupcakes: This cake recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Bake at the same temperature for around 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
To make as a three layer cake: Divide the batter between three 8 inch cake pans.
To make in two 9 inch round cake pans: The cake layers will be thinner and will bake quicker. Start checking on them at around 14 minutes.
To make in a 9×13 sheet pan: Bake for 18-20 minutes. You will only need half the buttercream for a layer cake, so halve the buttercream recipe.
Calories: 522kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 377mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 49g, Vitamin A: 897IU, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 2mg
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The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Hi, the recipe was fantastic but I don’t know why my cake tastes like soap and kind of metallic I have used the exact amount of baking powder and baking soda. Is it baking powder or soda or something else can you help me identify it? Thank you.
Hi Ahmed! You may have over-measured the baking soda, or are you at a higher altitude? Could be flour stored too close to some soapy product? This has never happened to me or any other readers that I know of with my chocolate cake recipe (the base recipe for this cake is a tried and true chocolate cake that has been made by hundreds of readers), so I’m really not sure. Sorry I can’t be of more help!