This simple Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake is a showstopper! It’s a simple one bowl chocolate cake, filled with a chocolate hazelnut spread and a cheesecake mousse. Everyone will love this!
So this cake.
It’s kind of everything.
Pretty.
Chocolatey.
Easy.
Your friends will think you’re a cake supahstar if you make this.
Just don’t tell them how easy it is. Can’t blow your cover like that…it’ll stay our secret.
Because here’s the deal..I’ve basically convinced all my friends and neighbors that I am some sort of baker-girl. What they don’t know is that everything that I make is pretty much the easiest recipe ever, topped with candy and a drizzle.
The drizzle makes it fancy.
That’s my secret.
Shhh, don’t tell.
So let’s talk about this Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake.
And of course the drizzle.
It all starts with a one bowl chocolate cake recipe.
Told you it was simple…
Mix your dry ingredients together.
Then add your wet ingredients.
Mix it together and pour it into cake pans.
On a side note, please oh please make your own chocolate cake. It’s so much better than boxed.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a boxed cake. But, just give it a try. I swear.
While your cake is baking go ahead and make your chocolate hazelnut cheesecake mousse filling.
Yep, you heard that right.
Start with a chocolate hazelnut spread, like Hershey’s new Spreads. SO so so yummy!
Mix that together with some softened cream cheese and powdered sugar…
Then Fold in some whipped cream…
It’ll turn this gorgeous light brown color.
You’ll want your mouth to live in that bowl forever and ever.
Chill the mousse until the cake is cooled completely.
When you’re ready to assemble spread on some more of your chocolate hazelnut spread onto the base layer…
Then top that with some of your mousse. A nice big scoop. Then gently place your other layer on top.
Spread more of your mousse all over the top.
You might have a little extramousse. Don’t tell anyone.
Top that with some chocolate hazelnut candies and drizzle more spread all over that bad boy.
You might die at how gorgeous and chocolately this is.
Well, maybe not DIE-die. Just die-die.
PrintChocolate Hazelnut Cake
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PinDescription:
serves 10
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup hot water
Filling
- 8 oz heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Assembly
- 3/4 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- Chocolate Hazelnut Candy
Instructions:
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Spray 8″ round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment circles, cut to fit pan. Spray pan again, coating the parchment paper. Set aside.
- In bowl of stand mixer combine first 6 ingredients. With paddle attachment on low, stir to combine.
- Add in remaining ingredients, one at a time with mixer still on low. Once all ingredients are mixed together turn speed up to medium low and mix for 2 minutes.
- Divide batter evenly among the 2 cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until center is set and toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Filling
- In bowl of stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, beat your heavy cream until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to another bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
- In stand mixer beat cream cheese and chocolate hazelnut spread until smooth. SLowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and incorporated.
- Fold in reserved whipped cream.
Assembly
- Level one of the cakes, so it isn’t domed. Spread 1/2 cup of the Chocolate Hazelnut Spread on top of cake.. Next spread half of the Filling mixture on top, spreading out to 1 inch away from edge of cake. Top with the other cake. Place remaining filling mixture on top.
- Microwave remaining 1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread for 30-45 seconds until pourable consistency and drizzle over top. Top with Chocolate Hazelnut Candy.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes:
cake recipe from All Recipes
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NOW, Kristan over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen made a cake too. Also, she makes the more gorg cakes evah! Go check out her Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake. It’d be perfect for Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?
Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you're not alone, doesn’t it?
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The cake was amazing but the mousse was too runny to put on the cake. I had to use double cream (I couldn’t get whipping cream) Would this have made a difference? Should I adapt the mousse for English ingredients?
Val Brighton
★★★
I used my recipe for the chocolate cake and i was looking for a hazelnut filling online. STumbled upon your gorgeous cake and I’ve decided on the spot to try you right filling. So easy to make and the taste is beyond delicious. Couldn’t be any happier with the end result. Recipe saved in my book, anybody should give it a try. THANK YOu!
So glad you liked it!!
Could i use hazelnut almond milk vs whole milk ?
sure!
Can I use the hazelnut mousse as a frosting if I wanted to frost the cake?
It’s a little soft, and depending on your climate it might slide off the cake..
thanks! any other ideas?
Just made the cake….tested it in 30 min. Not done, another 5, still not done. Seemed done after 3 more min.but fell to top of pan. Stuck in pan despite greasing & flouring. Looks & smell delicious. Will top with mousse & fix hollow spots. For daughter’s birthday tomorrow
thank you. made last night for my husbands birthday. went down a treat with the whole family.
★★★★★
Im making this for my son, his birthday is tomorrow :3 and I have to do it all manually. Much work but I managed ^^
L Beaton
Can you make it a day in advance?
Sure, but I would refrigerate the cake.
To make sure this cake is as rich and decadent as possible I would swap the vegetable oil for melted butter, the whole milk with buttermilk and the water with coffee. The butter makes it richer, the buttermilk ensures it’s moist, and the coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.
Hi
I just made it and everybody been loving it. It is so moist. I have been testing and searching of caffeine free chocolate cake for my son birthday cake.
But my only problem is that the cake somehow rise not evenly, would you share what is wrong ?
Made your Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake. OMG totally to die for. Easy to put together. Baked it for Son-in-law’s birthday and of cause I had to do ‘Quality Control’ and will be lucky if the cake last.
Thank you. And my Son-in-Law will too. Cheers Thia
Woooow! looks yummy! I definitely have to make it
Once!!!
I’d like to know how big is your measure cup? It’s like a 250ml cup? Coz we only use 200ml cups in Japan. Just wanna make sure to make good one! Thanks:)
Whats the measurement of your cup ?
I made this cake a couple of weeks ago and my family absolutely devoured it! It was perfectly moist, not too sweet and positively deeeeeeelish! My only issue is that the cake collapsed when I tried to assemble it. However, even though it looked like a bit of a mess in the end, no one cared because it tasted so yummy! I can’t wait to make it again for Father’s Day (in Australia) next month. Thank you so very much for such a delicious recipe!
★★★★★
I made this cake and you indicate to put 3/4 cup hazelnut spread in the filling.
you then indicate the reserved 1/2 hazelnut spread later in the recipe??? Where did this come from?
The remaining 1/2 cup hazelnut spread is listed in the ingredients for the “assembly”. YOu need the full 3/4 cup in the filling and then another 3/4 cup for the assembly. Hope that clears up the confusion!
I made this for my husband’s birthday, yesterday. Everyone loved it! Definitely don’t take the cake out until you are ready to serve. I took mine out a half hour before serving, and it was messy! 🙂
★★★★★
I just made this for my son’s 18th birthday. Turned out beautiful!
I fell in love with the picture and ingredient combination. A client had requested it and this was my first attempt. Unfortunately it was not what I expected. 1st the Hershey’s version has more chocolate than hazelnut so go with Nutella if you can. 2nd 2 cups of sugar was TOO much, I’m sorry to say because others really enjoyed it but I thought it was too sweet. I understand the need for it because this filling is very soft but it was never stable enough to hold its own under the weight of the cake on top of it without squishing out, maybe gelatin would be more stable. I didn’t use it, I just made a swiss bc with nutella, which also didn’t work bc it was too soft. Anyway, the drizzle on top was awesome- as was the hazelnut chocolates and the chocolate cake recipe is to dies for! 🙂
★★★
Love this, the chocolate mousse looks divine. I am drooling
I’ve made this cake several times and it’s always a big hit. The last time I made it was for a family dinner. When we got home from my sister’s I realized that I had forgotten to add the whipped cream to the frosting. When I told her we laughed because it was just as delicious without and no one even noticed.
★★★★★
This is kind of a strange question but could anyone tell me how sweet the frosting is? I want to make this recipe into cupcakes instead and I will half the frosting recipe and use less if it’s really sweet, since you end up with more frosting on a cupcake than a cake!
I have been looking for a good moist chocolate cake and was so happy when I found this on Pinterest. This is now my go to chocolate cake. My boys love the hazelnut spread and this cake doesn’t last very long in my house. Thanks a million!
Lovely cake! Where can you find the chocolate hazelnut candy for the top of the cake? Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this several times to rave reviews. I have made a couple of modifications. I added 1 tablespoon of espresso powder to the batter and substituted 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract for 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. I also make my own chocolate hazelnut spread in my Vitamix so I don’t have any thing in it except the good stuff. I make it 3 times a year for a dear friend and it is a requirement when I visit him! Great recipe.
Love hearing your adaptations!! Homemade Hazelnut spread…what a great idea!
If I make this cake and assemble it, And keep it in the fridge, But I need it for the next night, Will the mousse go liquid?
NO, it shouldn’t!
Hi,
I was thinking of making this cake for a function that’s coming up and I was wondering if it has to be chilled because I won’t be able to for at least 2 hours. Will the cream to soft and run everywhere if it isn’t chilled? And also would I be able to put in less sugar or would it not work?? And how much is the least amount of sugar I could put in??
* Will the cream GO soft
Yes, definitely chill this cake! And I can’t recommend lessening the sugar, only because the powdered sugar helps stiffen the filling.
I have followed the recipe and it did not taste very good. Its very very sweet. I like sweet stuff but this cake is too sweet. I wanted to make this cake because I like hazelnut but the only thing that makes this cake hazelnut is those darn candies nithing else about this cake is hazelnut. I am not makeing it again and I do not recommend anyone else waste ingredients On trying to make it either….
This cake mix does not work its too liquidy and it does not cook. It only makes a hug mess in the oven. I would use a cake mis out of the box…
Not sure if I missed it but was step 7 demonstrated in the pics above when the heavy cream was added? Also, I don’t have a mixer. Is it ok to mix these ingredients by hand? Sorry, I’m new to baking 🙂
You make whipped cream with the heavy cream and fold it into the Nutella mixture to create a mousse!
hi shelly,
i made the cake and the mousse but the mousse kind of softened after i put the wipped cream even though the cream was stiff
how can i make it the way it will stay stiff?
You could always add a bit more powdered sugar..that should definitely help with the stiffness!
I’m a tiny bit confused … what exactly was the first thing you spread onto the base layer? Just plain old hazelnut spread? Or with the cream cheese and icing sugar, but not the whipped cream? In the picture it looks lighter than just the straight-up spread. Making this for my son’s 10th birthday!
Yes, plain hazelnut spread…it might look a little lighter because of the lighting, but it’s just plain spread and them the mousse layer!
Thank you SO SO much for giving us a PRINT button!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I’t a roaring success!
Fantastic. I made this cake for a coworker’s birthday. Everyone loved it. It is very delicious.
I subbed in coffee for the hot water. I found the cake fell a bit, but it did not go concave, so no worries. The cake itself was very moist – something you need with a refrigerated cake.
Thanks so much for sharing this fabulous and easy recipe. I think I may be trying the mousse icing idea on other cakes!!!
There is no block cream cheese in the UK but only soft cream cheese, how can I make the mousse stand using soft cream cheese instead?
I imagine it would work completely fine. the block of cream cheese isn’t solid, and when it comes up to room temperature it is soft. Your product will work, as long as it’s not whipped.