Nutella Chocolate Cake

This Nutella Chocolate Cake recipe is every Nutella lover's dream cake! It's a moist chocolate cake with delicious Nutella icing, all covered in chocolate ganache. Delish!

This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe because it is super soft and very chocolate-y. Perfect for birthdays and celebrations and a delight to chocaholic everywhere! I wanted a maximum icing to cake ratio, so I made four layers of cake so that I could have plenty of Nutella icing piled between them. I only have 2 8 inch pans though, so I baked two cakes at a time.

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Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

• 260g plain flour
• 400g sugar
• 85g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 240ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• 240ml (1cup) vegetable oil
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 240ml (1cup) boiling water

Nutella Frosting:

• 445g salted butter, softened
• 180g shortening
• 620g Nutella hazelnut spread
• 1150g icing sugar
• 5-6 tbsp milk

Chocolate Ganache:

• 170g semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 120ml double cream
• Ferrero Rocher chocolate for decorations

Method:

Prepare four 8 inch cake tins with baking paper in the bottom and grease the sides.

Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.

Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well. 

Pour into four 8 inch cakes pans and bake at 150ºC for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

Make icing while the cakes cool. Beat together butter and shortening until smooth.

Add Nutella and mix until smooth.

Slowly add half of the icing sugar and mix until smooth.

Add 2-3 tbsp milk and mix until smooth.

Slowly add the remaining icing sugar and mix until smooth.

Add more milk until the frosting is the right consistency.

Once the cakes are cool, remove cake domes from top with a serrated knife. 

Place first layer of the cake on a plate or cake board. Add about ¾ cup of frosting and spread into an even layer.

Add second layer of cake and add another ¾ cup of frosting and spread into an even layer.

Add third layer of cake on top and add another ¾ cup of frosting and spread into an even layer.

Top frosting with fourth layer of cake, then frost the outside of the cake. 

To make the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl.

Heat the double cream just until it starts to boil. Pour over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edge of the cake, then pour the remainder if the ganache on top of the cake and spread evenly. 

Allow the ganache to firm up a bit, then pipe the remainder of the frosting around the top edge of the cake and top each swirl with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate.