Description
Indulgent Nutella Layer Cake recipe featuring a moist chocolate sponge filled with Nutella whipped cream and Nutella Swiss buttercream (For a 6-inch cake - serves about 8-10 slices).
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
- 250 g (8.8 oz or 1 cup) Mascarpone Cheese - cold
- 220 ml (1 cup) Heavy Cream - cold
- 100 g (1/2 cup) Nutella
- 2 tablespoons Confectioners' Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Nutella Swiss buttercream
- 6 large Egg Whites - at room temperature, approximately 200 g
- 280 g (1 1/3 cups) Granulated Sugar
- 396 g (about 3 1/2 cups) Unsalted Butter - softened
- 150 - 200 g (1/2 cup) Nutella
- 1-2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon 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:
- Place the granulated sugar with the egg whites in a heatproof bowl and heat the mixture over a double boiler on a pot containing a little heated water over medium heat.
- Whisk constantly using a hand whisk while monitoring the temperature with a cooking thermometer, which should read at least 122°F (50°C). (The sugar should be completely dissolved.)
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for about 15 minutes until you get a stiff and cooled meringue.
- Reduce the mixer speed and gradually incorporate the softened butter pieces, then increase to high speed again for about 5 - 10 minutes until you get a thick cream (the mixture will have a grainy consistency and then become smoother).
- Add the vanilla and Nutella and mix again for 2 minutes, then switch to the flat beater and mix at low speed for 2-5 minutes to loosen and smooth the buttercream.
Nutella Mascarpone Frosting:
- In a large bowl, place the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, sifted cocoa powder, Nutella, and vanilla.
- Whisk at medium-low speed with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until you get a thick and creamy frosting.
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
*For the best baking results, I recommend using a digital scale to measure ingredients in grams instead of cups. Precise measurements ensure consistent and perfect outcomes every time.
Conservation : Jusqu'à 4 jours au frigo dans une boîte hermétique et jusqu'à 3 mois au congélateur.
Replace the buttermilk with regular milk, or milk with a little white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: American