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As you have been loving my loaf cake recipes, I thought I'd add this Nutella Bueno Loaf Cake to the collection. Nutella is a very popular ingredient on my blog too, and I have many recipes using it that are always well loved by you. This cake is a fudgey chocolate sponge with chopped roasted hazelnuts and Nutella mixed into the batter. Adding Nutella to the sponge has made this cake so fudgey and almost like a brownie sort of, anyway it's SO good! The buttercream is the same Nutella buttercream I've used on a few other Nutella recipes before and its so silky and heavenly. Honestly I wonder how it even makes it to the cakes sometimes because I could just eat it with a spoon! Finally on top are my favourite Kinder Bueno bar pieces!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter/baking spread and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
You can use any cocoa powder for the cake, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100ml of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts.
For easy lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner*.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Nutella Bueno Loaf Cake

To make the cake, mix together butter, caster sugar and Nutella. Then whisk in eggs and milk.

Next whisk in self raising flour and cocoa powder, then stir in the roasted chopped hazelnuts. Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin and bake it. To decorate, I made a silky Nutella buttercream and I decided to pipe it on in a rose pattern. You can pipe it on in any way you like, or spread it on too. I added a broken up Kinder Bueno bar on top and some chocolate strand sprinkles too!

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How should the Nutella Bueno Loaf Cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponge undecorated or decorated (but do not freeze the Bueno chocolates). Once the sponge is fully cool, wrap it well with cling film or put it in an airtight container. You can also slice it up and freeze with some baking paper between the slices. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate. Then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens.

Can you make this loaf cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this loaf cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with). You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake and a dairy free block butter alternative (I like Flora Plant) for the buttercream, and a dairy free milk for the buttercream. You will also need to use a dairy free alternative to Nutella. Please do check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes or a larger cake?

If you'd like to make cupcakes, check out my Nutella Bueno Cupcakes recipe for the details. For a larger cake, check out my Nutella Cake recipe.

What size tin do you need for this recipe?

You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100mls of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts. I have a few different 2lb loaf tins, that all have slightly different measurements. The one I used for this recipe has internal measurements of 22cm x 11cm x 6cm. If your 2lb loaf tin is slightly narrower, your cake may need slightly longer to bake.

What is the best way to line a loaf tin?

For easy and quick lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner*, however if you don't have any of these you can use baking paper instead. Cut two pieces of baking paper, one wider piece and one longer and thinner piece. The wider piece will cover the two longer sides of the tin and the base, then place the longer thinner piece over the top of the first piece and cover the base again, and the smaller sides. Making a cross shape with the baking paper. I always grease the tin lightly before adding the liner or baking paper, as this helps to keep the paper in place and stop it from moving around when you add the batter.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cake will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

More tips for making the Nutella Bueno Loaf Cake:

This cake needs a long bake on a low temperature, so don't be unsure about the 1 hour baking time, it does need this long and it may even need a bit longer than this because it's such a deep mixture. I'd say check it after 1 hour by inserting a thin skewer in the centre and seeing if it comes out clean or not, then give it an extra 5 to 15 minutes depending.
I bought pre-prepared chopped roasted hazelnuts, which are totally optional in this recipe. You can roast and chop your own hazelnuts from scratch if you prefer. To roast them, place onto a baking tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes at 180C. Every 5 minutes, stir them around on the tray. If they have skins on, take them out of the oven and let them cool, then wrap them in a tea towel and shake them around and the skins will come off. You can then chop them up.
I LOVE Kinder Bueno bars so they were an easy choice for decorating this cake, but you could also decorate it with the Kinder chocolate bars, the Kinder Happy Hippos, Ferrero Rochers... anything chocolate and hazelnut would be yummy!

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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