Nutella Cake – Simply Home Cooked

Published: Mar 28, 2024 by Dina

This Nutella Cake recipe is every Nutella lover’s dream cake! It’s a moist chocolate cake with a rich chocolate Nutella buttercream frosting smothered between each layer.

You just can’t go wrong with Nutella and dessert! Give our Nutella baklava and Nutella brioche a try!

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

This Nutella Cake is absolutely amazing with its rich flavor and moist texture. I love serving this because everyone loves a scrumptious chocolate cake and this recipe is one of the best.

• TASTE: This cake is super chocolatey. It has a perfect mix of Nutella flavor as well. The Dutch cocoa and coffee give this cake a really intense and rich chocolate flavor.
• TEXTURE: The cake layers are soft and moist, and the Nutella buttercream is rich and satisfyingly creamy!
• TIME: This cake takes 45 minutes to make.
• EASE: The only challenging part about this cake would probably be frosting the cake when it’s done. The Nutella buttercream is very soft, making it hard to create a super smooth look.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Buttermilk- This adds moisture and a little tang to the cake.
• Espresso powder- This slightly bitter powder enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake.
• Large eggs- These bind the cake ingredients while adding lots of moisture.
• Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder- This ingredient adds wonderfully rich chocolate flavor to the cake and frosting.
• Cream cheese- This ingredient adds richness and tanginess to the frosting.
• Nutella- This gives the frosting the most amazing chocolate hazelnut flavor.
• Powdered sugar- This sweetens the frosting while keeping it smooth. Can’t be substituted with granulated sugar.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Substitute the buttermilk- If you have no buttermilk, you can also use heavy cream. Or make your own buttermilk with lemon juice or white vinegar with milk.
• Add chocolate chips- You can add this to the cake or the frosting, and use them to decorate the top of the Nutella Cake.
• Substitute espresso powder- To get the same touch of bitterness, use instant coffee powder in the cake. You can also use brewed coffee.
• Substitute the Nutella- If you have no Nutella, you can really use any chocolate hazelnut spread. Even creamy peanut butter can work, but with a different flavor.

How to Make Nutella Cake

• Beat the eggs and sugar together. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on full speed. Then add the vanilla extract and buttermilk.
• Add the espresso and butter. Now mix the instant espresso powder with the water and pour it into the cake batter along with the melted butter.

• Sift and fold in the dry ingredients. Next, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and dutch processed cocoa powder into the wet ingredients. Then gently fold the dry ingredients in using a whisk.
• Bake. Now transfer the chocolate cake batter into 3 prepared 9-inch baking pans and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Make the Nutella buttercream frosting. Place the softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, Nutella, and salt into the bowl of the stand mixer, and combine using the whisk attachment. If you want to thicken it, just pop it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Assemble the Nutella cake. Once the cake is cool, slice the tops off each with a serrated knife so they are smooth and even. Then assemble the cake by stacking the chocolate cake layers with rich Nutella ganache in between each, and spreading some more on the outside of the cake.

Pro Tip: Cake tend to get a little rounded on top as they bake and pull from the sides of the pan. Slicing off the tops will ensure that each layer is even. No lopsided Nutella cakes here!

Recipe Tips

• Spoon and level off the flour- For a moist cake like this, you don’t want to have too much flour. Instead of packing it into a measuring cup, spoon the flour in and level it off with a knife for more accuracy.
• Soften the butter and cream cheese- Always soften these ingredients so that they combine smoothly with the other frosting ingredients. If they are too cold, the buttercream will be lumpy and lose its creamy texture.
• Sift the dry ingredients- This is important to avoid any dry spots and to ensure everything combines thoroughly for a moist cake.
• Thicken the frosting if need be- If your buttercream frosting is a little thin, just place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and it will thicken right up.
• Reserve some frosting for the outside of the cake- Don’t forget to hold some frosting in reserve for the top and sides of the Nutella cake. Having a thick smooth layers gives this cake its elegant lines.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This Nutella Cake is moist, rich, and so decadent. You can serve it with other desserts, cakes, and coffee.

• Cookies: Serve this cake with some Easy Cream Cheese Cookies, Double Chocolate Cookies (VIDEO), White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, or Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
• Sweet treats: Pair this with some other desserts, like Paleo Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Creme Brulee, Candied Pecans, or Coffee Chocolate Mousse.
• Cakes: Enjoy this Nutella Cake alongside Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak Cake), Chocolate Mousse Cake, or New York Style Cheesecake.
• Beverages: Serve a slice of this cake with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Caramel Macchiato, Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat), or Iced Matcha Latte.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: This cake can be made in advance and then wrapped in plastic wrap for a day. You can also store the frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to frost and serve the hazelnut cake. Just remember to let the frosting soften before spreading.

Storing: This Nutella cake will stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container or cake holder.

Freeze: You can also wrap the unfrosted chocolate cake  layers in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then thaw, assemble, and frost it when you’re ready to serve.

More Nutella Desserts!

Full Recipe Instructions

This recipe was originally posted on  Dec 27, 2017, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.