Nutella Cake
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Calling all Nutella lovers! This Nutella cake recipe is made with a moist chocolate cake recipe, frosted with a Nutella buttercream frosting, and finished with a Nutella ganache.
If you’re a Nutella fan, I know you’re going to fall in love with this cake. This Nutella cake is hands down one of the best cakes I’ve made in awhile. I’ve been on quite a chocolate cake kick for a while. Like my chocolate peppermint cake for Christmas, this chocolate peanut butter sheet cake for Valentine’s day and now this Nutella chocolate cake.
This cake starts with a fudgy chocolate cake that is made with buttermilk and oil to make it super moist. I used Dutch cocoa powder, which has a richer chocolate flavor than a natural unsweetened cocoa powder, and added hot water and a little espresso powder which brings out the chocolate flavor.
And of course since this is a chocolate Nutella cake recipe, I had to frost it with a creamy Nutella buttercream. I started with my vanilla buttercream frosting and added in a whole lot of chocolate hazelnut spread. But of course, why stop there? Let’s finish this layer cake recipe with a Nutella ganache.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Moist chocolate cake layers made without a mixer
- Frosted with a creamy Nutella frosting that’s quick to mix up
- Can make the day before for a stress-free cake to serve to guests
- Wonderful to freeze leftovers!
Ingredients Needed
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I used Dutch process cocoa powder instead of an regular natural cocoa powder. I prefer Dutch cocoa powder because it’s less acidic and makes for a richer chocolate taste.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs – Make sure you use room temperature eggs. Here is my full guide on how to bring eggs to room temperature.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, try making your own homemade buttermilk. Do not use regular milk as it will not react the same with the baking soda.
- Oil – Use a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
- Vanilla extract
- Boiling water – You can also use hot coffee. Omit the added espresso powder.
- Espresso powder – You can also use instant coffee (but it’s not as strong). Espresso powder helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, so don’t skip it!
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar – If you’ve run out make your own homemade powdered sugar.
- Nutella – Or any chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Heavy cream – To use in the Nutella ganache.
How To Make Chocolate NutellaCake
Make the chocolate cake:
Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180oC). Grease two 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease again. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Combine wet ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk.
Add dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until incorporated.
Add espresso/hot water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Carefully stir in the boiling water into the chocolate batter. Batter will be thin.
Bake. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting on a wire rack.
Make the Nutella frosting:
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated on low speed increase the speed and then beat until smooth.
Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in a pinch of salt. Beat to combine.
Add Nutella and beat to combine. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 6-8 minutes.
Frost cake. Add first cake layer to a cake stand or serving platter. Frost with Nutella buttercream frosting with an offset spatula.
Top with second cake layer. Finish frosting the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Make the ganache
Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering, but not boiling (or you can heat in the microwave). Pour hot cream over the Nutella. Whisk smooth.
Pour over cooled cake before serving. Smooth with spatula if necessary. Transfer to the refrigerator until set, about 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- You want your eggs to be room temperature before you begin. If you add cold eggs to the creamed butter mixture it will cause your butter to seize up and create a broken or curdled-looking batter. I place my eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before I use them.
- Make sure you are measuring your flour correctly so you don’t end up with too much in your cup which could yield a dry cake. Measuring with a scale is best but if measuring using cups, then be sure to spoon the flour into your cup and then level it off. Do not scoop directly from the bag or pack it down into the cup, which could yield 25% more flour than intended.
- Line or grease the pan well. This will help with the cake layers releasing. I like to line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Bake in a different pan – You can bake this into a 9×13 cake pan instead. Baking time will be a few minutes less.
Storage Instructions
You can make the cake the day before. Let the cake cool completely then cover well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. You can also make the frosting two days in advance and refrigerate. You will need to re-whip in the mixer again to make smooth and fluffy. Then the day of you can frost and finish with the ganache.
I recommend storing the cake, covered in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to cut the cake into slices. Then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a plastic freezer bag. You can thaw overnight, or more quickly at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure to test with a toothpick in the center of the cake. The toothpick should have a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. I also touch the top of the cake. The cake should spring back when touched.
Yes you can. Divide the batter into cupcake wells and bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. Then frost with the Nutella buttercream frosting. If you want, you could always fill the cupcakes with the ganache.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re looking for more cake recipes be sure to try my Sock It To Me cake made in a bundt pan. It’s a sour cream based pound cake made with a pecan cinnamon swirl in the middle!
I also love whipping up my strawberry pound cake and peach cobbler pound cake in my bundt pan.
Nutella Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup (63 g) Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
Nutella frosting
- 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks, 283 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ½ cups (283 g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup nutella
For the Nutella ganache:
- ½ cup (135 g) Nutella
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
Make the chocolate cake:
- Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8” or 9” baking pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease again. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (63 g) Dutch cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl whisk together oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and buttermilk. 2 large eggs 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until incorporated.
- Add espresso/hot water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Carefully stir in the boiling water into the chocolate batter. Batter will be thin. 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan. . Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks, 283 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. 2 ½ cups (283 g) powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt. Beat to combine. ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Add Nutella and beat until smooth and combined. 1 cup nutella
- Frost cake. When cake is cooled, stack and frost cake layers with offset spatula. Finish with ganache.
Make Nutella ganache:
- Heat cream and Nutella together in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir. If not smooth yet, microwave again for another 30 seconds. Allow to sit and thicken, about 5 minutes. ½ cup (135 g) Nutella ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- Pour over cooled cake before serving. I pour tje ganache in th center of the cake and the spread to the edges so it drips down slowly over the edge of the Transfer to the refrigerator until set, about 15 minutes.
- Pipe on swirls of remaining frosting to finish and serve.
Notes
- Make Ahead: You can make the cake the day before. Let the cake cool completely then cover well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. You can also make the frosting two days in advance and refrigerate. You will need to re-whip in the mixer again to make smooth and fluffy. Then the day of you can frost and finish with the ganache.
- Storage: I recommend storing the cake, covered in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing any cake leftovers. I like to cut the cake into slices. Then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a plastic freezer bag. You can thaw overnight, or more quickly at room temperature before serving.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I used Dutch process cocoa powder instead of an regular natural cocoa powder. I prefer Dutch cocoa powder because it’s less acidic and makes for a richer chocolate taste.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, try making your own homemade buttermilk. Do not use regular milk as it will not react the same with the baking soda.
- Oil – Use a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
- Espresso powder – You can also use instant coffee (but it’s not as strong). Espresso powder helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, so don’t skip it!
- Boiling water – You can also use hot coffee. Omit the added espresso powder.
