Description
Nutella layer cake made with soft chocolate sponge, a creamy Nutella mascarpone filling, and a smooth Nutella Swiss buttercream (6-inch cake, serves 8–10).
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 225 g (1 3/4 cups) Cake Flour
- 80 g (3/4 cup) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 160 ml (2/3 cup) Vegetable Oil
- 340 g (1 3/4 cups) Granulated Sugar
- 3 large Eggs - at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 150 ml (2/3 cup) Buttermilk
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) Coffee/Water - warm
Nutella Mascarpone Frosting
- 200 g (¾ cup) mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 200 g (¾ cup) heavy cream, cold
- 2–3 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 70–100 g (¼ to ⅓ cup) Nutella
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, optional
Nutella Swiss buttercream
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 300 g (1 ⅓ cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 150–200 g (½ to ⅔ cup) Nutella
- 1–2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate drip
- 80 g (2.8 oz or 1/2 cup) semi-sweet dark chocolate
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 330°F (165°C) and grease and line the bottom of two 6-inch (15 cm) round cake pans.
- In a bowl, mix and sift together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk with the warm coffee (or water).
- In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients mixture and the milk and coffee mixture into the oil and sugar mixture, mixing until you have a smooth and liquid cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 2 pans and bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes until they are well cooked in the center. (Check the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cakes; it should come out clean.)
- Let cool slightly in the pans before removing the cakes and allowing them to cool completely top side down on a cake rack.
- Once completely cooled, slice them into 2 layers using a cake leveler to obtain 4 layers of sponge cake.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°F (70°C).
- Transfer to a stand mixer and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and the bowl feels cool.
- Add the softened butter gradually, mixing until smooth, then beat in the Nutella until creamy and stable.
Nutella Mascarpone Frosting
- Place the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, Nutella, cocoa powder, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- Whip on low speed, then increase to medium speed until the frosting becomes thick, smooth, and holds soft peaks.
- Stop mixing as soon as the frosting is firm and pipeable.
Layer Cake Assembly:
- Prepare a cake turntable stand and place a cake board, then place the first layer of sponge cake.
- Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer, then fill the center with the mascarpone cream, drizzle some Nutella, and cover with the second chocolate sponge cake.
- Repeat the last step until the final layer of sponge cake.
- First, cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream and refrigerate for 20 minutes to lock in the crumbs.
- Cover again with a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth with a cake smoother, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Prepare the chocolate ganache drip by heating the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 15-second intervals until you have a runny ganache that's not too hot (ideal temperature 95°F or 35°C).
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides.
- Decorate the top of the layer cake with the remaining buttercream using a 1M piping tip, sprinkle with hazelnuts, and let the cake rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
- Take the cake out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before slicing to soften the cream.
Notes
Storage: Store your Nutella cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens. You can also freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Tips :
- Use a digital scale: Measure ingredients in grams for precision and perfect texture.
- Room temperature ingredients: Bring eggs, milk, and butter to room temperature before mixing.
- Buttermilk substitute: Replace buttermilk with milk mixed with a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Smooth layers: Trim the cake tops for even stacking and a clean finish.
- Perfect frosting texture: If too soft, chill for 10 minutes before spreading.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: American




