Looking for something a little extra special?
This gorgeous Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is is sure to impress!
This Chocolate Hazelnut Cake recipe starts with a perfectly rich and fluffy chocolate cake, then gets layered with a flavorful whipped hazelnut spread frosting.
Creamy, chocolaty, nutty… this beautiful cake has it all!
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The inspiration for this cake came from a new product from Sprouts Farmers Market that I’m pretty excited about… Organic Hazelnut Spread!
If you love chocolate and hazelnut… or love that other brand of Hazelnut Spread, you must try this!
I’m going to dare to say that Sprouts Organic Hazelnut Spread is even better than the brands you may have tried before!
It’s just so perfectly creamy and flavorful! I know this is going to be a staple in our house now!
Of course I’ve come to expect Sprouts brand products to be exceptional in flavor and performance… and always at super reasonable prices!
And when I picked up my jar (ok, I bought two jars) of Hazelnut Spread I knew I could head right to Sprouts Bulk Bins to find some gorgeous raw hazelnuts as the perfect finishing element for a chocolate and hazelnut dessert!
Of course my kids love Sprouts Hazelnut Spread simply on toast… but I wanted to elevate this delicious spread a bit more!
This Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is perfectly rich, flavorful and delicious… and I’m already dreaming of more gorgeous desserts to show off my new favorite hazelnut spread!
I shared some of this cake with a friend, and the next day she texted me asking for the recipe =)
You’ll find the full recipe below, but let me walk you through the decorating just a bit…
Make sure the cake layers are fully cooled before you start to decorate. I like to wrap each layer in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour (or up to a couple days) before frosting, so the cake is nice and firm while I’m decorating it (the cake will defrost quite quickly and perfectly soft to eat).
Once you’ve added a layer of frosting between each cake layer, and you’re ready to frost the outside of the cake, start with a thin layer of frosting (called a crumb coat) to seal in the crumbs. This layer does not need to be perfect, and it’s fine if you can see the cake through this layer a bit. Put the entire cake in the freezer for at least 15 minutes for the crumb coat to firm up.
Add the second layer of frosting, this time you can spend a bit more time making it as smooth as you wish.
For the frosting style pictured, use a small off-set spatula held horizontally and drag it through the frosting, while slowly turning the cake (preferably on a cake turn-table). Spiral up the cake as the cake spins.
Add the layer of hazelnut spread on top (listed below in the recipe), then add chopped hazelnuts.
Add some reserved frosting to a piping bag and pipe swirls of frosting around the top rim of the cake, if desired.
How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder best quality available
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk or use skim milk and add a little cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup very hot water or hot coffee
For the frosting
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
- 8 oz cream cheese 1 package
- ¾ cup Sprouts Organic Hazelnut Spread
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons Sprouts Organic Hazelnut Spread
- ¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
- 12-15 whole hazelnuts additional
Instructions
Bake the cake
- Heat oven to 350*F.
- Prepare cake pans by rubbing the sides of the pans with a little oil or butter and dusting with flour. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl (the bowl of an electric mixer), stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
- Stir in hot water or coffee (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
- Bake until the top of the cake is smooth and has a slight dome and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I baked the cake shown in three 7" pans and baked them about 30 minutes. You will need to adjust the bake time based on the pans you choose.
- Cool completely before frosting. I like to cool the cakes at room temperature a bit, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until cold and firm (30 minutes or up to a couple days).
Prepare the frosting
- Chill your mixing bowl and beater(s) in the freezer for 5 minutes. This will help the whipping cream whip up nice and quickly.
- Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl, then beat until it begins to thicken. Slowly add half (1/2 cup) of the powdered sugar, while mixing. Continue to beat until the cream has almost doubled in volume and is nice and fluffy.
- Remove whipped cream from mixing bowl (into another bowl), and set in the fridge.
- In the mixing bowl (empty, but no need to clean fully), add the cream cheese. Beat until smooth.
- Add the remaining (1/2 cup) powdered sugar and mix until fully combined.
- Add the hazelnut spread to the smooth cream cheese, and blend until fully combined. Add vanilla and blend.
- Retrieve the whipped cream from the fridge and add one large scoop (about a cup) of whipped cream into the mixing bowl with the hazelnut spread/cream cheese mixture. Blend slowly (using the whisk attachment), until combined.
- Add the remaining whipped cream to the bowl and use a spatula to gently fold/stir the whipped cream into the hazelnut mixture.
- Fill and frost your prepared (cooled) cake as desired. You should have plenty of frosting to cover the cake and some remaining for decorative touches (to be added later). Move frosted cake to the freezer if you plan to add chocolate glaze (recipe follows).
Garnish
- Once the cake is frosted, if desired, add a chocolate hazelnut glaze by combining 2 T. chocolate chip and 3 T. hazelnut spread in a small bowl and microwave (at 50% power) 30 seconds at a time until mostly melted. Stir to combine. Cool slightly, then pour onto the top of the frosted (and chilled) cake. Spread almost (but not quite) to the edge. Top chocolate layer with chopped hazelnuts.
- If desired, add remaining hazelnut whipped cream frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip and add decorative swirls (as pictured) around the top edge of the cake. Top each swirl with a whole hazelnut.
- Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Keep any remaining cake in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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Happy cake baking!
Disclosure – I created this recipe in partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. Partnering with brands I love allows me to provide you with high quality content at no cost to you. I only work with brands I use and love. All images, text and opinions are my own.
The notes above the recipe indicate the recipe makes a double layer cake, but the picture shows a triple layer cake. Did you do 1.5 times the recipe for 3 layers and 1.5 times the frosting? Obviously, I’d like to have a 3-layer cake. The more the better, right!
OOPS. Now I see the notes below the recipe!
Perfect, glad you found the info you need! Happy baking!
I was wondering what size baking pans to use? Do I need to use a spring form pan?
I baked the cake pictured in 7″ pans. You could also use 8″ or 9″ pans, but the cake will not be as tall. Standard cake pans are all you need (not spring form). You’ll find this info in the notes section of the recipe above.
Happy baking!
Thank you for quick response from England with your original chocolate recipie in the oven as we speak. Glad to know it does not alter the great taste. I will be using it from now on!! Thank You!!!
I would also like to add the your amazing talent has inspired me as a baker. Any cake I wish to make, I ALWAYS look to YOUR recipie first!! I find that your exceptional knowledge and practice helps the taste of my cakes to be truly enjoyable to those who eat them. I pray that all your hearts desires come through and that you and your family with sore higher than you can imagine. Can not thank you enough for sharing you hard earned work. Warmly, I say thank you again!.
Hello, great work as per usual. May I asked why the number of eggs has increased in your chocolate recipes (except the perfect chocolate cupcake)from 2 to 3. Does this change make for a denser cake? I look forward to your response. Bless
Hi! I’ve found that increase in eggs (from 2 to 3) and a slight reduction in liquids does not change the flavor of the cake at all, but helped the cake hold together just a bit better. The texture is still quite light and fluffy. I really need to go update the original as well!
Sounds anazing and will be trying it! Love hazenut!! Have made this recipe into cupcakes? If so, would you help with temp and time to cook? Thank you
Sorry!!! For the spelling errors.
You are a blessing! Definitely going to try this!!
OOPS!! STUNNING!! HA!
Hehe, thanks so much Charlotte!
You make everything to perfection. Sunning!
Beautiful! ! ! 🙂
Thanks so much Sherrill!