This chocolate hazelnut cake is the cake for nutella lovers! Moist chocolate cake filled with chocolate hazelnut spread and ground hazelnuts and the entire cake gets covered in creamy nutella buttercream. It's the perfect layer cake for chocolate lovers, with deep, rich chocolate flavor and earthy roasted hazelnuts.
Chocolate and hazelnut are a match made in heaven, which is why Nutella desserts are so popular! This classic chocolate cake has the perfect flavor and texture for a layer cake - which is why we also use this base cake recipe in our chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and triple chocolate cake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Cake for any occasion - this chocolate cake would be perfect for a birthday, Christmas, a baby shower or bridal shower, or to make for a chocolate lover in your life! Since the cake rounds get used whole, it makes for a simplified version of a layer cake without skimping on flavor. And, you can easily make it ahead of time since it stays moist during storage.
Chocolate hazelnut flavor - the classic flavor combination makes this an epic nutella cake. With chopped roasted hazelnuts mixed with nutella, plus the chocolate hazelnut buttercream (also using nutella), the flavors are a total dream!
Perfect texture - this rich chocolate cake has an incredibly soft texture in the cake layers, a creamy nutella buttercream, and a bit of crunch from the chopped hazelnuts on the inside.
Ingredients
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This variety of cocoa powder creates a cake that's darker in color, but slightly more mellow and less "in your face" in chocolate flavor. Now, this may sound like a negative, but with the addition of the extra chocolate flavors, I promise this is the best cocoa to use.
- Neutral oil. Vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil are great options to use.
- Dairy. Sour cream, milk, heavy whipping cream are all used in the recipe. All of these must be full fat varieties. The sour cream and milk need to be used at room temperature. The heavy cream will get heated and poured over the chocolate to make the ganache.
- Coffee. Have you ever heard that coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate? I actually do believe this, as I've made the cake with water instead of coffee and it just doesn't quite have the same depth of flavor. You can also use 1 tablespoon of espresso powder mixed into the dry ingredients, then use water. Of course, you can just use water, but if you can use coffee, I highly suggest doing so.
- Nutella. A large jar of Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread is used in this recipe. Some for the filling, some for the Nutella frosting.
- Hazelnuts. Whole hazelnuts get chopped, roasted, and mixed into the filling to add texture and extra hazelnut flavor.
- Powdered sugar. This sugar is used to create the structure in the Nutella buttercream.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Use hot water instead of hot coffee in the cake batter.
- Fill the cake layers with chocolate ganache (mixed with hazelnuts) instead of Nutella.
- Fill the cake with Nutella mousse.
- Add chopped Ferrero Rocher into the cake filling instead of roasted hazelnuts.
- Top the cake with Ferrero Rocher - and make these Ferrero Rocher brownies with the leftovers!
- Add water or milk to the Nutella buttercream instead of heavy cream.
Types of Cocoa Powder
t's important to note that cocoa powder cannot be substituated equally in every recipe, as they have properties that react differently to certain leaveners (ie baking soda and baking powder). However, in this recipe, you can use any type interchangeably without it affecting the final outcome. I have found that if you are using less than 1 cup of cocoa powder, it typically does not change the final bake.
Natural cocoa powder - the most common type of cocoa, this produces a very robust, intense chocolate flavor that is lighter in color.
Dutch processed cocoa powder - my favorite variety of cocoa (used in all of my chocolate recipes) because it produces a deep color and rich flavor but is perfectly balanced and not too chocolatey.
Black cocoa powder - used in this black velvet cake, this cocoa powder is the darkest of dark, yet has a mellow chocolate flavor just like an oreo cookie! It's the perfect swap for Halloween bakes and black hot chocolate.
Additionally, cocoa powder acts as a drying agent and needs to absorb a lot of liquid to bloom and get that really chocolately flavor. Because of this, most chocolate cake recipes will have quite a liquidy batter, but will bake up perfectly with the right combination of cocoa and leaveners.
Must Have Tools for Cake Decorating
- Cake boards
- Offset spatula or cake scraper
- Piping bags
- Piping tips
- Revolving cake stand (not necessary, but incredibly helpful)
How to Make This Recipe
One: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Two: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Three: Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until all completely combined.
Four: Add the hot coffee and stir until a thin batter forms.
Five: Split the batter between two prepared cake rounds, then bake and cool.
Six: Beat the Nutella and heavy whipping cream until light and fluffy, then fold in the toasted chopped hazelnuts.
Hot tip! The hazelnut filling will get darker in color as it sits.
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Seven: Beat the butter and nutella until smooth.
Eight: Add the powdered sugar and whipped cream and beat until light, fluffy, and spreadable.
Hot tip! If the cakes have a domed top, remove the tops with a serrated knife so the layers are completely flat and even.
Nine: Pipe a frosting dam around the outside of the cake around. Do two layers so it can hold all of the filling!
Ten: Spread the hazelnut filling into the center.
Eleven: Top with the second cake layer then add the remaining Nutella buttercream.
Twelve: Cover the cake entirely, then smooth it out. Garnish with drizzles of melted Nutella and chopped hazelnuts.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature dairy ingredients and eggs in the chocolate cake batter, otherwise, it can lead to a lumpy batter.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Cocoa powder is prone to clumping, and even whisking doesn't always remove them.
- Line the cake pans with parchment paper rounds so they remove easily from the pans.
- If the cake rounds have a dome on top after cooling, use a serrated knife to level off the tops so they're completely flat.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling the cake or else the frosting can melt off!
- Add pieces of parchment paper in between the cake and the serving platter while frosting it so the buttercream doesn't get onto the platter.
- Add pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper onto the cut sides of the cake when storing so the filling doesn't seep out.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Bake and cool the cake layers, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them for one month. The cake can be decorated with the layers still frozen.
Yes, you can use natural cocoa to make it without any substitutions (but not for all recipes). The cake will be lighter in color and have a slightly different chocolate flavor.
The cake can remain at room temperature for 1 day. After that, it needs to be refrigerated. Bring the cake or slices back to room temperature before enjoying it so the filling and icing get nice and silky smooth again. If you like fudgy cake, feel free to eat it straight from the fridge.
If possible, assemble and decorate the cake on the surface it's being served on. Slide pieces of parchment paper under the cake to keep the serving plate clean.
If you do need to move the cake, it's best to assemble the cake on a cake board. Slide a spatula underneath the cake board so you can get a hand underneath, then pick up the entire cake by holding the bottom of the cake board. Transfer the cake to the desired location, and gently and evenly drop it onto the surface from about ½ inch high while removing your fingers from each side.
Storage
Store the cake at room temperature for one day. Cover the cut and exposed cake pieces with plastic wrap or a piece of parchment paper. The rest of the cake does not need to be covered, as it's protected by the buttercream.
After one day, move the cake to the fridge and keep it for an additional 3 days. Allow the slices of cake to come to room temperature before eating.
Freezing the Cake
To freeze, flash-freeze sliced pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper, then wrap them completely in plastic wrap and transfer them to a ziptop bag. Store the slices for up to two months. Unwrap completely and thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
To freeze the whole cake, flash freeze it, then wrap it completely in multiple layers of plastic wrap, then a few layers of aluminum foil and freeze for 2 months. Unwarap completely and thaw at room temperature.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
- If you'd like to make the recipe in a different pan, use the pan size converter.
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📖Recipe
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Equipment
- Parchment paper cake rounds
- Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachment (or hand mixer)
- Piping bag or ziptop bag
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup coffee or water steaming hot
Filling
- ½ cup chopped hazelnuts
- ⅔ cup Nutella
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream cold
Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup Nutella
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Grease and parchment line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks, oil, butter, sour cream and milk until smooth, then add to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup whole milk
- Pour in the hot coffee and mix until fully combined, careful not to over-mix (or slosh it over the sides).1 cup coffee or water
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans, take off the parchment layer, and finish cooling on the racks.
Filling
- Add the hazelnuts to a large frying pan over medium low heat and toast until lightly golden and fragrant. Toss the nuts frequently during this process. Transfer to a cutting board to cool, then finely chop the nuts.½ cup chopped hazelnuts
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, add the nutella and heavy cream and slowly mix to combine, then increase the speed and whip for 2 minutes until it becomes slightly lighter and airier. Fold in the chopped, cooled hazelnuts.⅔ cup Nutella, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Nutella Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and Nutella on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup Nutella
- Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low for 30 seconds until the powdered sugar is combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for another 2 minutes.3 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- If the frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time. If it’s too thin, add ¼ cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Assembly
- Cut off the top mounded layer of the cake rounds using a serrated knife, keeping as level as possible. Add the first cake layer to a serving platter.
- Pipe a circle around the very outside of the cake round with the Nutella frosting. Spread the chocolate hazelnut filling in the center and spread evenly until it reaches the frosting dam.
- Add the second cake layer on top. Add a few large dollops of buttercream to the top of the cake. Working from the middle, gently push the buttercream to the edges, then down the sides of the cake and cover the entire cake.
- Smooth it out using an offset spatula or cake scraper into a very thin layer. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes.
- Use the remaining buttercream to add another, thicker layer of frosting to cover the cake and smooth it out. Use any excess buttercream to add decorative piping (optional).
Pdw says
The best cake I have ever eaten.
Callan Wenner says
It is the tops!!