Nutella Cake

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water (120g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (10g)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (75g)
• 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g)
• 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
• 1 cup warm water (240g)
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (255g)
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (110g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
• 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee (1g - optional)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (454g)
• 1 1/2 cups Nutella (420g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
• 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
• 5 cups powdered sugar (625g)
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (160g)
• 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled (90g)
• 1 cup Nutella, warm (280g)
• 8- inch cake pans
• Spinning cake stand
• 10- inch greaseproof cake board
• Large offset spatula
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Chocolate Simple Syrup ---

2. 2

   Make the chocolate simple syrup first because it needs time to cool down. Adding simple syrup to the layers is optional, but I love the moisture it gives them.

3. 3

   Pour 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture starts to boil.

4. 4

   Remove from heat and whisk in 2 Tbsp cocoa powder. Pour into a separate bowl to cool to room temperature, then cover and set aside. If you're making this in advance, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

5. 5

   --- Chocolate Cake Layers ---

6. 6

   Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Grease and line four, seven-inch or three eight-inch cake pans.

7. 7

   Sift or whisk together 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

8. 8

   In a separate, large bowl, add 1 cup warm water, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp instant espresso and whisk together until fully incorporated.

9. 9

   Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they're just combined, and the batter is smooth.

10. 10

    Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

11. 11

    Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 30 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.

12. 12

    Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you are making these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

13. 13

    --- Nutella Buttercream Frosting ---

14. 14

    Place 2 cups of butter and 1 1/2 cups of Nutella in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Beat on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

15. 15

    Add in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix on low until the ingredients are combined.

16. 16

    Gradually mix in 5 cups of powdered sugar and 2/3 cup of heavy cream on a low speed.

17. 17

    Next, add in 1/2 cup of melted and cooled dark chocolate. Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the frosting from crusting and set aside.

18. 18

    --- Assembling this Chocolate Nutella Cake ---

19. 19

    Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate, using a dab of Nutella buttercream to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

20. 20

    Before you stack each cake layer, use a silicone brush to soak the top of the cake layer with chocolate simple syrup.

21. 21

    Spread an even layer of Nutella buttercream on top of each cake layer as you stack them with a large offset spatula. Drizzle 1/3 cup of warmed Nutella on top of the buttercream.

22. 22

    Repeat with the remaining cake layers, flipping the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost.

23. 23

    Freeze the cake for about 10 minutes, or until the buttercream between the layers is firm to the touch. I usually add a crumb coat to my cakes, but since we're going for a textured look with this cake, I found the crumb coat wasn't necessary.

24. 24

    Cover the cake with a thick, even layer of buttercream. Use the back of a spoon or a large offset spatula to give the buttercream a textured look like in the pictures above. Then add swirls of warm Nutella around the cake with a spoon or a large offset spatula and enjoy!