This Nutella cake has a gooey Nutella filling. It has three chocolate cake layers, Nutella filling, and Nutella frosting. It is the perfect chocolate and hazelnut cake with fluffy cake and a gooey Nutella filling.
This Nutella cake is perfect for any Nutella fan. It has Nutella on top and inside. The tender chocolate cake is delicious and provides the perfect base for a Nutella cake. If you love Nutella then I guarantee you will love this cake.
For more Nutella recipes, try Nutella Cheesecake, Nutella Cookies, and Nutella Brownies.
Jump to:
- Why This Chocolate Nutella Cake Recipe Works
- Ingredient Notes for Nutella Chocolate Cake
- Ingredient Substitutions
- Step By Step Instructions - Chocolate Cake
- Step By Step Instructions - Nutella Frosting and Nutella Drip
- Assembling the Cake
- Expert Baking Tips
- FAQ
- Recipe Variations
- Special Tools
- Storing and Freezing
- 📖 Recipe
Why This Chocolate Nutella Cake Recipe Works
- Nutella flavor- Nutella is delicious and brings that wonderful hazelnut and chocolate flavor to this delicious cake.
- Chocolate cake- The fudgy chocolate cake layers are delicious and provide the perfect cake for the Nutella filling and drip.
- Soft cake- This cake has a soft and fluffy texture that feels amazing to eat.
Ingredient Notes for Nutella Chocolate Cake
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Oil- Use canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil.
- Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.
- Buttermilk- Use full fat or reduced fat buttermilk. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure this is sifted to avoid gritty frosting.
- Nutella- If Nutella is not available you may use another hazelnut spread, but be aware the texture may be different and affect the quality of the cake.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dairy free- You can use your favorite dairy free options for this recipe!
- Gluten free- I haven't tested this gluten free. Let me know if you do.
- Buttermilk- You can also do 1 cup of milk with 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
Step By Step Instructions - Chocolate Cake
Here is how to make and bake the cake layers for this Nutella cake.
STEP 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, spray three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles and spray again.
STEP 2: Dry ingredients. Sift the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set it aside.
STEP 3: Wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and buttermilk. Mix it until it is smooth. Slowly add the how water while mixing it into the batter.
STEP 4: Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk them together until there are no flour lumps.
STEP 5: Pour. Divide batter equally into the 3 cake pans.
STEP 6: Bake. Bake the cakes for 23-26 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
STEP 7: Cool. Let the cakes cool in the cake pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step By Step Instructions - Nutella Frosting and Nutella Drip
Here is how to make the Nutella frosting and drip for the cake.
STEP 1: Dry ingredients. Sift the powdered sugar for the frosting with the cocoa powder in a large bowl.
STEP 2: Beat butter. Use a mixer to beat the butter on high speed for 3 minutes. Add in the Nutella and mix it in, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
STEP 3: Mix frosting. Add half of the powdered sugar to the butter mixture. Mix it in on low speed until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar mixture and mix it until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, and salt. Mix the frosting on high speed until smooth.
STEP 4: Nutella drip. Right before applying it to the cake, place the Nutella in a bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave and stir.
Assembling the Cake
Here is how to assemble the Nutella cake.
STEP 1: First layer. Place the first cake layer down. Spread ¾ cup of frosting over it. Heat the ⅔ cup of Nutella until melted.
STEP 2: Nutella filling. Pipe a border of frosting around the top of the cake. Pour half of the melted Nutella over the filling.
STEP 3: Second layer. Place the second layer on top of the first and repeat steps 1 and 2.
STEP 4: Final layer. Place the third layer bottom up on top so that the flat side is on top.
STEP 5: Frost cake. Spread a light layer of frosting over the entire cake. Place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to set. I decorated this cake in a semi-naked look.
STEP 6: Nutella drip. Apply half of the Nutella drip on top of the cake and push it over the sides with a spatula to drip down. Add the rest of the Nutella on top of the cake. Freeze it for 10 minutes to set.
STEP 7: Decorate. Add your decorations on top of the cake. I used chopped hazelnuts.
Expert Baking Tips
- Properly measure the flour- Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled. If you stick the measuring cup directly into the flour, it will compact the flour. Compacted flour can cause the cake to be dry.
- To easily remove the cake from the pan, make sure to first spray the pan with baking nonstick spray. Then, line bottom with parchment paper and spray it again to make sure that the paper does not stick to the bottom of the cake too much. If you miss any spots with the spray they can stick and tear the cake so be thorough.
- For high altitudes add 2 tablespoon of flour to the cake batter.
FAQ
Yes you can make the cake ahead of time! Once the cake layers are done cooling, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Pull them out 1 hour before decorating.
Yes you can. You can use a 9 inch cake pans, but it will be thinner. You can also use 6 inch cake pans for thicker layers.
Yes it can! This recipe will make roughly 24 Nutella cupcakes. You can halve the recipe for 12 cupcakes.
Recipe Variations
- Ferrero Rocher topping- You can decorate the top of this cake with Ferrero Rocher to make it into a Ferrero Rocher cake.
- Fully frosted- If you prefer a fully frosted cake to the semi-naked cake you can apply a layer of frosting after freezing the light layer of frosting.
Special Tools
- Cake pans: I use Wilton 8-inch cake pans.
- Parchment paper circles: I used 8-inch parchment paper circles for the bottom of the pan. I love to use the premade circles, so I don't have to cut it out of regular parchment paper.
- Baking spray: I use the nonstick spray that has flour in it.
- Offset spatula: I use this to easily spread the frosting or fillings.
- Cake turntable: I use this nice Ateco cast iron turntable because it is high quality and it spins seamlessly. Some other turntables are a little jerky when they turn.
- Cake scraper: I use a metal scraper to get smooth cakes.
- Piping bags: I like these 18- inch piping bags since they hold more.
- Piping tip: I love this Wilton 1M to pipe frosting.
Storing and Freezing
Store this Nutella cake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.
You can freeze the Nutella cake in individual slices. Place the cake slices in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days.
Other Layered Cake Recipes To Try
Try these cake recipes too!
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Nutella Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Oil canola or vegetable oil
- 1 ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup Hot water
- ⅔ cup Nutella for the filling
Nutella Frosting
- 2 ½ cups Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup Nutella
- 2 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- ¾ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Nutella Drip
- ¾ cup Nutella
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles and spray again.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour, ¼ cup Cornstarch, 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Salt
- In a medium bowl, mix the oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Slowly add in the hot water and mix into the batter.1 cup Oil, 1 ¾ cup White granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 4 Large eggs, 1 cup Buttermilk, 1 cup Hot water
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using a whisk. Mix until there aren't any flour lumps. It will be a liquidy batter.
- Pour the batter into the three cake pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the hot cake sit in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
Nutella Frosting
- In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.2 cups Powdered sugar, ¾ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Using a mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add in the Nutella and mix until combined.2 ½ cups Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Nutella
- Add in half of the powdered sugar mixture and mix on low until combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add in the vanilla and salt and mix on high speed until smooth.¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Nutella Drip
- Start this right before you need it. Place the Nutella in a bowl. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave¾ cup Nutella
Assembly
- Heat the ⅔rds cup of Nutella in the microwave until melted.⅔ cup Nutella
- Place the first cake layer down. Spread ¾ths cup of frosting over the cake layer. Pipe a border around the edge of the cake. Pour half of the melted Nutella over the filling.
- Repeat step two with the second cake layer. Place the last cake layer with the bottom of the cake facing up.
- Spread the frosting in a light layer over the cake and freeze for 15 minutes. I decorated this cake in a semi-naked look.
- Pour half of the Nutella drip over the cake and use an offset spatula to press the drip down the sides of the cake. Pour the rest of the Nutella on top of the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes to set it.
- Decorate the top of the cake.
Taylor Reynolds says
Is 7.5 cups on the peanut butter frosting correct?
Camilla says
Hey,
Last time I made this cake, my chocolate cake became very dense. Do you have any idea were I went wrong? My cake didn't raise very much and my batter was extremly wattery.
cheers,
Camilla
Stephanie Rutherford says
So the cake batter is supposed to be very runny. However, if it didn't rise much and it was dense. It was probably because you compacted the flour. It needs to be spooned into the measuring cup then level off the top. Too much flour causes dense cakes.
John Hoe. says
As a fellow bulker I love this I burn 100 calories every day and weigh 269 and ate 4 slices of this then saw the calories in each slice, once I saw 1000 calories I jumped up and walked for 20 minutes and burned 90 calories then ate 2 more slices and then had dinner and lunch together. Way too many calories as my intake today was around 8000 calories.