CHOCOLATE NUTELLA LAYER CAKE
With gooey Nutella drips and hazelnut chocolates!
Chocolate cake. Goodnight, I feel like I could just end the blog there.
Chocolate cake needs no introduction and no extra help to make it sound as beautiful as it already is.
I feel like no matter who you are, there would always be at least one fond memory with you and chocolate cake. It’s like chocolate cake is the glue that holds all of the over-crowded family gatherings, the birthday parties, the congratulations and wedding days together!
To be honest, can you even really call it a memorable event if there wasn’t a chocolate cake involved?! I couldn’t…
For me, any form of chocolate is heaven; but, it takes a truly special recipe to take plain ol' chocolate to the next level and it's this cake! I can be pretty fussy with my cakes – they have to be moist, they have to be rich, and they have to actually taste like chocolate (shocker! The amount of cakes I have had that don’t taste like chocolate actually shock me…but that’s another story.) This cake, however, is a chocolate lovers, lover? It’s so rich, so moist, and just so damn good!
Difficulty: Easy!
Parties aside though, sometimes there is nothing better than sitting down after a long day (or a long morning for us mums!) and enjoying something totally decadent, filled with totally necessary calories and a cup of strong coffee. And, as you might be able to see, I couldn’t even wait for mine to set before I dived right in… I blame my dessert addiction...
Paired with the luscious Nutella buttercream and all the extras (of course) this cake becomes even more moreish! If I’m honest, I become my very own Bruce Bogtrotter and happily lick the plate every time I finish a slice (I don’t smash it over my head like he did, but it’s so good I could get close)!
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I wanted to show you snippets of in between the layers so you could make this creation exactly the same as I did mine! I know it can be hard sometimes watching videos and thinking ‘I can’t do that!’ – well, you can! It's simpler than it looks and this cake requires no fancy tools to bake, cut and layer. I used a piping tip (out of habit); but, you will get the same results just smearing it close to the edges!
Ahhh and those drizzlings of Nutella in between layers…forgive me while I wipe away the drool…
So, if you’re a chocolate cake lover but only the best will do, then this one gets my tick of approval for one of the best chocolate cakes you will eat. Just look at it – isn’t it beautiful!
Difficulty: Easy
Gather The Following...
Now, Lets Begin!
For the cake, begin by preheating your oven to 165°C fan forced and grease 4 x 6” cake tins with baking paper, set aside.
In a small jug, mix your milk and apple cider vinegar together to combine. Allow this to sit and curdle while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Next, whisk in the sugar until combined.
To the dry mixture, add the eggs, milk/vinegar mixture, warm water, oil, coffee and vanilla extract - beating for a few minutes with a whisk until smooth.
Pour the mixture into prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven for 35 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Once the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before removing the cake from the tin. Wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge to chill completely.
While the cakes cools, prepare your buttercream!
For the buttercream, begin by beating the butter on high using an electric stand mixer, until fluffy. Add in the Nutella and beat again on medium speed until fully incorporated.
With the mixer on low speed, add in the icing sugar mixture - one cup at a time - until buttercream is thick and all of the icing sugar is incorporated. If the frosting is too runny, add more sifted icing sugar - if it is too thick, add in some thickened cream or milk.
Now it’s time to begin the layering! Start by levelling all of your cakes to create even and flat layers. Next, start layering by placing a small blob of buttercream onto your serving platter or cake board to secure the first layer. Press the first layer of cake onto the buttercream and cover in buttercream followed by a drizzle of Nutella (a bucket load is a perfect measurement also). Continue to top with another cake, followed by buttercream and Nutella, continuing the process until the cake is completely stacked.
To finish the cake I used a Wilton 1M tip (my favourite!) to pipe small spirals on top and a healthy drowning of Nutella - but you can decorate the cake exactly how you like! I finished by sprinkling mini chocolate chips, chocolate shards and some delicious Ferrero’s!
Chocolate Cake
1 ½ cups Full Cream Milk
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3 cups Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
1 ½ cups Cocoa
1 tsp Salt
3 1/14 Cups White Sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ cups Water, warm
2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
½ tsp Coffee Extract
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Nutella Buttercream
250g Salted Butter, softened*
3/4 cup Nutella or Chocolate Spread
4 cups Icing Sugar Mixture
1 tbls Milk or Cream**
*I love to use salted butter to balance the sweetness. If you prefer an extra sweet kick just replace the salted butter with regular unsalted.
**Use to thin Buttercream if needed
