This easy 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 layer cake recipe!
Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake Recipe
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.
How to Make The Best Chocolate Layer Cake
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.
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Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy 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 layer cake recipe!
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
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 657
- Sugar: 69.5 g
- Sodium: 530.6 mg
- Fat: 31.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 91.8 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 88.2 mg
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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?
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!