This Nutella cake is a decadent and fudgy chocolate cake layered with a creamy Nutella buttercream frosting. Despite it’s truly impressive, bakery worthy appearance, this moist Nutella layer cake is super simple to make with just two bowls and a whisk. Make this stunning chocolate nutella cake for birthdays or any other special occasion.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a rich and delicious chocolate cake. My Buttermilk Chocolate Cake, Matilda Chocolate Cake , Brownie Cake, Almond Flour Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Tahini Buttercream Cake are just a few homemade chocolate cake recipes I love from the blog. I am so excited to add this Nutella cake to my growing collection of the best chocolate cake recipes. I know you’ll love it too because:
- You love a simply stunning chocolate cake. Rich chocolate Nutella cake is layered together with silky Nutella buttercream and topped by crushed hazelnuts.
- Super simple to make. From start to finish, you make and bake this fudgy Nutella filled chocolate cake in about an hour. All you need is two mixing bowls, a whisk and two 8-inch cake pans.
- Made with simple ingredients. This easy Nutella cake recipe is made with simple ingredients like flour, dutch cocoa powder, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream and Nutella. This delectable Nutella layer cake is layered with an equally simple Nutella buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
This Nutella cake requires only a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
Nutella Cake
Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Wet Ingredients: Gather oil, sugar, Nutella, eggs, milk and water.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
Gather butter, powdered sugar, Nutella, vanilla extract, heavy cream and salt.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make this Nutella chocolate cake as easy as possible.
- Dutch Process Cocoa powder: If you need to use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of Dutch processed cocoa powder, use an equal amount of unsweetened cocoa powder and swap the baking powder for baking soda. For this recipe that would be ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda (with no baking powder). Use buttermilk instead of milk if using the unsweetened cocoa powder and baking soda option.
- Salt: This enhances the sweetness of the cake and provides a more well rounded flavor.
- Oil: I like to bake with canola oil. However, any neutral baking oil will work well in this cake recipe.
- Nutella: Nutella is a name brand of chocolate hazelnut spread. Use any brand you like or have access to.
- Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested using other types of sugar.
- Milk: This ingredient can be substituted with an equal amount of plant based milk.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Hot Water: The water should not be boiling. It needs to be very warm to the touch.
- Unsalted Butter: Use salted butter if needed. Just make sure to omit the added teaspoon of salt listed in the recipe. Vegan or dairy free butter can also be used if needed.
- Heavy Cream: This creates a fluffy whipped nutella buttercream. Substitute with an equal amount of milk. Just know that the buttercream will have less of a whipped consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: This is for another layer of flavor in the chocolate frosting. It can be omitted if needed.
How To Make
Learn how to make Nutella cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom of (2) 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, dutch process cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well combined.
- In another large bowl add the oil, granulated sugar, Nutella, eggs, and milk. Mix until smooth and well combined. Mix in the hot, but not boiling water until well combined. Using a spatula, mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Evenly pour the chocolate cake batter into each of the prepared cake pans. Each of the pans will have about (730 g) of cake batter. Bake the cakes for about 35 - 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes then carefully remove the cakes from the pan to cool completely. Once cooled, place the cake layers in the fridge for 1-2 hours before frosting.
- While the cakes cool, make the Nutella buttercream frosting. Beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until smooth and well combined. On low, beat in the Nutella, vanilla extract, salt and 2 tablespoons heavy cream until mostly combined. Increase the speed to medium-high for 1-2 minutes. If needed, mix in up to 2 tablespoons additional heavy cream to achieve your preferred whipped consistency.
- Assemble the cake: Smear a small amount of frosting onto the serving plate or cake stand. Place the first Nutella cake layer on top. Apply a layer of frosting to the first cake. Smooth across and slightly passed the top onto the side. Top the frosting with the second layer of chocolate cake. Apply another layer of frosting to the top, smoothing it out along the sides. This is the crumb coat. Place the cake in the fridge to set for about 20 - 30 minutes.
6. Apply the rest of the frosting to the cake. Smooth the sides with an icing knife or bench scraper. Top the cake with any leftover icing, creating swirls. Add chopped hazelnuts, slice, serve and enjoy!
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
Store
Store leftover chocolate cake at room temperature: Keep the Nutella cake stored at room temperature for up to 2 days under a cake dome or wrapped in plastic wrap. After two days, the cake should be transferred to the fridge for up to another 3-4 days.
Store leftover fudgy chocolate cake in the fridge: This Nutella chocolate cake cake is super moist and will do just fine when stored in the fridge. Keep the cake in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. At this point the cake will start to taste a bit dried out. This cake tastes best at room temperature, so bring the cake to room temperature before enjoying.
Freeze and Thaw
Freeze the unfrosted chocolate cake layers: Wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap and place. Store the cake layers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Freeze frosted cake pieces: I don’t recommend storing an entire fully frosted cake in the freezer. However, you can easily store sliced pieces of frosted Nutella cake in the freezer. Slice the pieces into your desired sizes. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Place each wrapped slice of cake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw the nutella chocolate cake: Transfer your desired amount of cake slices or cake layers out of the freezer. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring the cake slices to room temperature before enjoying. The cake layers can still be cool when applying the frosting.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use a non-stick spray and line the bottom of the cake pans to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly, resulting in a softer cake.
- Measure the ingredients properly: I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured dry ingredients every time. This is the most accurate and recommend way to bake.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter: Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Use cake strips to help the cakes bake evenly: This Nutella chocolate cake recipe should bake evenly without doming tops, but I love using cake strips to help ensure even baking and flatter tops.
- Cool the cake in the pan for no longer than 10 -15 minutes. If you try to remove the cake before 10 minutes, the cake may still be too hot to remove without falling apart. Removing the cake after 15 minutes may cause the cake to stick to the pan more easily.
- Use a serrated knife or cake leveler to remove any uneven tops. The cake may bake up with a slight crust. This is an easy way to remove this thin layer of cake crust.
- Fully cool the cake before assembling and frosting. The cake takes about 1 hour to cool to room temperature after the cake layers have been removed from the pan. It’s recommend to chill the cake layers in the fridge for 1-2 hours before frosting them, as well as about 20 minutes after applying the crumb coat.
FAQs
Yes! If needed, you can make this in a 9 x 13 pan for about 35 - 40 minutes. This recipe can also be baked in (2) 9- inch cake pans for about 30 - 35 minutes. This batter recipe also makes about 24 cupcakes. Bake the chocolate Nutella cupcakes for about 18-22 minutes.
I recommend using a good 1-1 cup replacement for all purpose flour. I like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
Other Layer Cake Recipes to Try
If you try this Nutella Cake Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Nutella Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 8-inch (20-cm)cake pans
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
Nutella Cake
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (44 g) dutch process cocoa powder
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup (118 ml) canola oil
- ½ cup (148 g) Nutella
- 1¾ cup (350 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk, room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) hot water
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups (339 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (148 g) Nutella
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp (45-60 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom of (2) 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, dutch process cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well combined.
- In another large bowl add the oil, granulated sugar, Nutella, eggs, and milk. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Mix in the hot, but not boiling water until well combined.
- Using a spatula, mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Evenly pour the chocolate cake batter into each of the prepared cake pans. Each of the pans will have about (730 g) of cake batter.
- Bake the cakes for about 35 - 40 minutes. The cakes are done cooking when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes then carefully remove the cakes from the pan to cool completely. Once cooled, place the cake layers in the fridge for 1-2 hours before frosting.
- While the cakes cool, make the Nutella buttercream frosting. Beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until smooth and well combined. On low, beat in the Nutella, vanilla extract, salt and 2 tablespoons heavy cream until mostly combined. Increase the speed to medium-high for 1-2 minutes. If needed, mix in up to 2 tablespoons additional heavy cream to achieve your preferred whipped consistency.
- Assemble the cake: Smear a small amount of frosting onto the serving plate or cake stand. Place the first Nutella cake layer on top. Apply a layer of frosting (about ¾ cup) to the first cake. Smooth across and slightly passed the top onto the side. Top the frosting with the second layer of chocolate cake. Apply another layer of frosting to the top, smoothing it out along the sides. This is the crumb coat. Place the cake in the fridge to set for about 20 - 30 minutes.
- Apply the rest of the frosting to the cake. Smooth the sides with an icing knife or bench scraper. Top the cake with any leftover icing, creating swirls. Add chopped hazelnuts, slice, serve and enjoy!
Kathryn says
Hi!
Your notes for substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for dutch processed state to use the same amount of cocoa and substitute baking soda. You go on to say that's 3/4 cup cocoa powder, however the recipe says 1/2 cup. Other websites such as king arthur baking state to use half the amount of baking soda as baking powder which would be 1.5 tsp baking soda. Can you please clarify?
Megan says
Hi Kathryn, apologies for any confusion. The correct amount of cocoa powder is 1/2 cup. Replace the baking powder with 1.5 tsp baking soda when using unsweetend cocoa powder instead of dutch process.