ultimate nutella chocolate cake

Nutella Cake is made with layers of rich chocolate cake, frosted in a creamy nutella buttercream, filled with nutella drizzle & chopped hazelnuts, and finished with a nutella ganache and ferro rocher chocolates. If you’re looking for a decadent, crowd-pleasing – no, crowd-WOWing cake – look no further!

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Nutella Cake:

• Rich Chocolate Cake – This rich, one-bowl, moist chocolate cake is the easiest and best chocolate cake you’ll ever make! No matter your baking skills, you can make this cake.
• Nutella Buttercream – Luscious nutella frosting is slathered over the entire cake – it is out of this world delicious!
• Lazy Nutella Filling – No need to pipe a border around each layer! I opted for a lazy filling and drizzled melted nutella over each frosted layer, with a sprinkle of hazelnuts.
• Nutella Ganache – A luscious 2-ingredient nutella ganache drip finishes this cake off beautifully.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.

• Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream at room temperature for best results.
• Cake Flour– Cake flour produces a more tender crumb in a cake and I highly recommend using it! Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour, giving you a dry cake. 1 cup of cake flour is 110 grams, whereas 1 cup of all-purpose flour is 130 grams.
• Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Use natural cocoa powder, not dutch process.
• Milk – I always use 2% milk for baking because it’s what we already buy.
• Cream Cheese – Use full fat, block-style cream cheese.
• Nutella – Use brand name or any off brand – they each work fine.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted dairy-free products to make this recipe dairy-free, including a dairy free chocolate hazelnut spread.
• Sour Cream – You can use full fat greek yogurt, at room temperature, in place of the sour cream.
• Cake Flour Substitute – Make your own cake flour by spooning & leveling 1 cup of flour into a measuring cup, using a flat edge to level it off. Add to a mixing bowl, then remove two tablespoons (scoop & level them off). Add two tablespoons of corn starch, then sift this mixture twice. This is important to evenly mix the ingredients and to give the same light texture as cake flour. .
• Peanut Butter – You can swap peanut butter or a chocolate nut-free spread like sunflower butter for the nutella if desired.

How to Make Nutella Cake:

Step 1: Make the Cake Batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl well to make sure everything is incorporated. It’s the easiest chocolate cake recipe!

Step 2: Bake the Cake Layers. Divide the batter between greased and parchment paper-lined cake pans. Bake as directed in the recipe card. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting layers to cool completely before frosting.

Step 3: Make the Nutella Frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat together nutella and butter with an electric mixer on high speed. Beat in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat in the cream cheese last.

Step 4: Assemble the Cake. Spread a layer of frosting over the first cake layer, then drizzle on melted nutella & add chopped hazelnuts. Add the second layer. Pop in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes or so, to ensure nothing slides around.

Repeat with the second cake layer, then add the third layer upside down for a flat top. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting. Let chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Step 5: Add the Nutella Ganache Drip. Heat heavy cream until simmering, then pour over the nutella and stir until smooth. Once it’s not hot, pour over your cake, using an offset spatula to push it over the edges while you spin the cake on a turntable.

Serving + Storing:

Let the cake chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to set the ganache, then pipe swirls on top of the cake with leftover frosting. Top with ferro rocher chocolates. Slice and ENJOY!

Store leftovers (hehe, sureee) in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. I usually press a piece of plastic wrap over the slices in the container as added insurance to keep them moist, but this cake stays moist for days!

Love nutella? Try my Double Nutella Cookies or my Nutella Stuffed Brownies!

Expert Success Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Cake Pans – These are my absolute favorite 9-inch cake pans! I’ve had them for 6+ years and use them for every cake recipe, and they are still in great shape.
• Offset Spatula – Offset spatulas make cake assembly so easy! They can also be used for spreading cake and brownie batters evenly.
• Cake Turntable – If you make at least a few cakes a year, a cake turntable makes the process a breeze!
• Piping Bag & Piping Tip – I like to use a reusable piping bag and a Wilton 1A tip to pipe the frosting border (if using). I used a Wilton 8B tip to pipe the swirls on top. Affiliate links.

More Nutella Recipes to Love:

• Double-Stuffed Nutella Cookies
• Nutella Filled Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
• Nutella Chocolate Cupcakes
• Triple Nutella Cheesecake
• Nutella Dessert Pizza
• No-Bake Nutella Tart

---

---