Chocolate Hazelnut Espresso Cake

Last year I made a plum, vanilla, almond cake for my birthday and I loved her BUT this year a Chocolate Hazelnut Espresso cake felt just right. Three layers of chocolate hazelnut marble cake, soaked with a literal cortado and filled with vanilla bean mascarpone whipped cream, chocolate hazelnut ganache, and toasted chopped hazelnuts – I love this cake… a lot.

Why do you soak a cake?

Layer cakes are often “soaked” with a simple syrup to keep them moist or save a dry cake. In this case I didn’t want the cake to be too sweet so I opted for a soak with no added sugar. Rather the soak is simply equal parts espresso and milk. This is what gives the cake it’s espresso hint without it being to bitter or sharp.

Is mascarpone the same as whipping cream?

No. Mascarpone is actually a type of fresh cheese that is thick but soft like cream cheese. For this cake it is the base of the filling/frosting and gets whipped together with cream to make a more stable whipped cream.

What can you use instead of hazelnut flour?

Instead of hazelnut flour for the actual cake, you can use almond flour! If you would rather make a nut free cake, refer to this marble cake and simply bake it the same way but in an 7″ metal cake pan.

Tips for making a chocolate hazelnut cake

• If you can’t get Kerrygold’s Butter with avocado oil, simply substitute 120 grams of softened butter!
• This recipe makes a 3 layered 7″ cake but you can also increase it by 1/3 and make a 2-3 layer 9″ cake! So instead of 3 eggs, use four and multiply the rest of the ingredients by 1.25. The baking time should be about the same but also check with a toothpick!
• If possible use a light colored metal round cake pan, dark pans (like the one I used, tend to cause the cake to darken too quickly.
• Triple check that your pan is the correct size and that your baking soda and baking powder haven’t expired!
• The hazelnut flour can easily be replaced with almond flour and the chopped hazelnuts can be replaced with any toasted and chopped nut you want!
• Use a baking spray with flour in it to spray the bottom of your cake pan, try not to spray the sides as it can make the cake rise oddly. Alternatively, grease the pan with soft butter and line the bottom with a round sheet of parchment paper.
• If you don’t have an espresso machine, strongly brewed coffee will work too! If you prefer to leave the coffee out all together simply soak with your favorite milk.
• Be careful not to over whip the mascarpone frosting. It can easily split if you do, so it’s better to stop when it is still soft and if needed, whip a little more by hand just before assembling. If you do happen to over whip it, pour a little extra heavy cream in the bowl and use a spatula or spoon to stir it together.
• I prefer to soak and assemble the cake on the day it is baked, I find the syrup soaks in better to the layers and it is easy to cut into three layers when the cake has just cooled to room temperature.

Additional Recipes to try!

• Vanilla Almond Layer Cake
• Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
• Chocolate Layer Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Ingredients

• Butter with Avocado Oil: I absolutely loved using Kerrygold’s new butter with Avocado oil for this cake but if you can’t find it or don’t have it on hand simply substitute 120 grams of soft unsalted butter!
• Sugar: This cake uses white granulated sugar in the cake batter and mascarpone whipped cream.
• Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor to the cake and whipped cream! You can also use vanilla bean paste for the whipped cream if you prefer.
• Almond Extract: I like adding a little almond extract into the cake batter just to enhance the nutty flavor.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store. Just make sure they are at room temperature so that they mix smoothly into the butter and sugar mixture.
• Hazelnut Flour: I usually find this at whole foods but whole almond flour works great too!
• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this cake! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is key to getting a rise out of this cake so make sure it isn’t expired! You can also check it by adding a bit of water to a little baking powder, it should bubble and fizz when they mix.
• Milk: Any milk will work for the soak and cake but I tend to use whole milk or 2% for a better taste.
• Cocoa Powder: Dutch processed or natural cocoa powder will work for the chocolate half of this cake!
• Espresso powder: Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor in the chocolate cake but it isn’t a deal breaker if you can’t get your hands on it.
• Espresso: The soak of this cake is simply espresso and milk but strongly brewed coffee will work too! I don’t recommend instant espresso for the soak as the flavor won’t be as nice.
• Mascarpone: Mascarpone adds a little extra umph and structure to an otherwise simple whipped cream.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream is key to the chocolate ganache and the whipped cream.
• Dark chocolate: I recommend using a dark or bittersweet chocolate bar for the chocolate ganache, chocolate chips won’t melt well and won’t work for the ganache.
• Chocolate hazelnut spread: I love mixing the chocolate hazelnut spread from bonne maman into the chocolate ganache for extra hazelnut flavor! Nutella will work too!
• Hazelnuts: Toasted and chopped hazelnuts add texture and flavor to the inside of the cake and decoration to the top!

How to make a Chocolate Hazelnut Cake?

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Marble cake batter

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the softened butter, sugar, salt, almond extract and vanilla extract until smooth, light and fluffy. You really gotta whip it so feel free to use an electric mixer. The whole mixture should lighten in color!
• Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Ensure each egg has been fully mixed in before adding the next.
• Pour in the hazelnut flour and whisk again.
• Lastly, pour in the flour and baking powder.
• Whisk once more until combined and smooth.
• Pour 350 grams of the batter into a second bowl.
• Sift the cocoa powder and espresso powder into the first bowl along with the milk and whisk until smooth.
• Spray the 7″ metal springform cake pan (it needs to be at least 3″ tall) with your baking spray and then alternate spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate cake batter until both have been fully used up.
• Tap the cake on the counter until the top is level.

Bake

• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
• When the cake is finished baking, check it by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is fully baked.
• Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before removing the spring form.
• After 10 minutes, remove the springform.
• Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.

Hazelnut Chocolate Ganache

• Roughly chop the chocolate and place in a heat safe bowl.
• Heat the cream in a sauce pot over medium heat until steaming.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave it to sit for 2 minutes.
• Whisk the cream and chocolate together until fully combined. Set aside to cool, stirring regularly until thick.
• To speed this up place the bowl in an ice bath or on an ice pack. Just don’t forget to keep stirring. You can also make this in advance and store it in the fridge but it will need to warm up before using it.
• Once thick, stir in the chocolate hazelnut spread if using.

Vanilla Mascarpone frosting

• In a medium mixing bowl, add in the cold mascarpone, sugar, vanilla bean insides, salt, and vanilla extract.
• Use the paddle attachment to cream the mascarpone mixture on medium speed for 3 minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved. If using a hand mixer, the regular beater attachments will work.
• Turn off the mixer and pour in the cold heavy cream.
• Switch to the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until medium stiff peaks form. Do not over whip it, it’s better to under whip rather than over whip. If you over whip it, pour in a little extra heavy cream and use a rubber spatula to fold it in.
• Cover and place in the fridge to firm up until ready to assemble.

Soak

• Brew one shot of espresso (1.5 ounces) and mix it with 1.5 ounces of milk.
• Set aside to cool.

Assemble

• Level off the domed top of the cake first with a serrated knife, then cut into 3 equal layer.
• Place the bottom layer on a piece of parchment paper and brush the surface with the coffee soak.
• Brush the top of the bottom and middle layers, and the bottom of the top layer, with the vanilla milk soak until it has all been used up.
• Scoop 1/2 a cup of the mascarpone frosting onto the bottom layer of cake and use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to spread it out. Stop about 1/4″ from the edge of the cake. Spread the cream so that the edges are thicker and the center is a thinner layer of cream.
• Put the ganache into a piping bag or ziploc bag and cut the tip off. Pipe half of the ganache over the whipped cream, staying within an inch of the edge of the cake.
• Carefully use an offset spatula to spread the ganache into an even layer without mixing in the cream. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the chopped hazelnuts.
• Layer the middle layer of cake over the fillings and press down gently.
• Repeat the soak, cream, ganache, and hazelnuts on the middle layer of cake.
• Place the top layer of cake over the fillings and press down gently.
• Soak the top layer with the remaining coffee. Spoon almost all of the remaining whipped cream over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread it over the top of the cake and then down over the sides.
• If you want a smooth cake, use a bench scraper to smooth out the sides and place the cake in the fridge overnight. I usually place a bowl over the cake upside down to keep it from drying out. But if you plan to add more cream, you can also wrap the cake with plastic wrap.
• Place the remaining whipped cream in a covered bowl in the fridge. The next day, decorate the firmed cake with the remaining cream and top with more chopped hazelnuts.

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