Nutella Cake

My Nutella Bueno Cupcakes are very popular, and they inspired me to go bigger and make this Nutella cake! It's made up of three layers of chocolate and hazelnut sponge, sandwiched together with Nutella buttercream, topped with more Nutella buttercream, chopped hazelnuts and Kinder Bueno pieces. It's a Nutella lover's dream and would make an amazing birthday cake for the Nutella fan in your life!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

• Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
• I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
• You can use any cocoa powder for this cake, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Also do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
• You can omit the chopped hazelnuts if you wish, but they do add that nutty flavour to the cake that reminds you of Nutella.
• I decorated the cake with some Kinder Bueno pieces, Kinder chocolate would also work well.
• 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 Cake

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To make the sponge mix together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs bit by bit and whisk them in, followed by the vanilla. Then whisk in the self raising flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts.

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Divide the mixture between three lined and greased 8" sandwich tins. Bake them for around 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.

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To make the buttercream, mix together the butter and icing sugar. Then add the Nutella and milk, and mix until smooth. Stack the sponges up on a cake stand, piping buttercream between each layer and drizzling over some Nutella spread that has been warmed up. For the final layer, sprinkle chopped roasted hazelnuts over the cake and place Kinder Bueno pieces all around the edge.

Can this cake be made with two layers?

Yes! Please check the notes after the recipe at the bottom of this post for details. It can also be made with one layer.

Can this cake by made in different size cake tins?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes?

Yes! Check out my Nutella Bueno Cupcakes recipe for details.

How long does this cake last for and can it be frozen?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it's own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. 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. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can you make the 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 4 additional teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this cake be made gluten 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 additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 4 additional teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¾ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Kinder Bueno is not gluten free, so you will have to omit these from the decoration. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake and buttercream. I recommend Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block for the buttercream, as they give the best texture. You will also need to use a dairy free alternative to Nutella, and omit the Kinder Buenos decoration. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

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 Cake:

• I used a Jem 1E nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cake
• You can spread the buttercream onto the cake if you don't want to pipe it.

Recommended equipment & ingredients*

• 8" cake tins
• Mixing bowls
• Cooling rack
• Kitchen scales
• Nutella spread
• Electric hand mixer
• Round cake tin liners
• Cake tester
• Piping bags
• Jem 1E Piping nozzle
• Kinder Bueno

*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

More Nutella recipes...

If you like this, check out more of my Cake recipes!

NB. This post is NOT sponsored by Nutella – I just love their product!