Home · Recipes · Desserts & Baking · Cake Recipes · Layer Cakes Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Author: Maryanne CabreraPublished: Sep 29, 2011Updated: Oct 17, 2024 View Recipe41 ReviewsThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy. A rich and decadent treat for chocolate lovers! Chocolate hazelnut cake layers together chocolate sponge cake, praline mousse, and hazelnut ganache. Table of Contents IngredientsEasier Alternative RecipeServing SuggestionsRelated RecipesChocolate Hazelnut Cake with Praline Chocolate CrunchView moreView less This showstopper cake was featured in the October 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. As a fan of Nutella, I was immediately drawn to the chocolate hazelnut pairing. I had to give the recipe a try. The original recipe includes a chocolate glaze topping. I find that the cake is better without it! The rich glaze takes away from the hazelnut flavors. This is a very involved dessert with numerous layers and components. I suggest breaking down the recipe and making the components over a couple days. And, if you don’t have time or patience to make the entire layer cake, I recommend just making the praline chocolate crunch! It’s such an addicting and satisfying snack in itself! Ingredients There are four components to this dessert: 1) praline chocolate crunch, 2) chocolate sponge cake, 3) hazelnut ganache, and 4) praline mousse. You’ll need the usual baking ingredients: sugar, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, butter, and heavy cream. Here are the speciality items that may need clarification: Blanched hazelnuts refer to hazelnuts that have had their skins removed. Purchased skinned hazelnuts or remove them yourself by gently roasting. Dark chocolate is chocolate with a high percentage of cacao, usually ranging from 50-80%. You may also use semi-sweet chocolate in its place. Milk chocolate refers to chocolate mixed with milk solids. It generally has a lower cacao percentage. You may use chocolate bars or chips. Puffed rice cereal is the generic name for Rice Krispies cereal. You can use any brand of rice puffs. Brandy is brushed on the chocolate sponge cake for moisture and flavor. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you may use simple syrup (mixture of one part water, one part sugar). Easier Alternative Recipe This chocolate hazelnut cake recipe is rather labor intensive and time consuming. If you are pressed for time, I suggest making this flourless chocolate hazelnut cake or chocolate hazelnut thumbprint cookies. They have similar flavor profiles. Serving Suggestions Keep assembled cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Let cake stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to soften before slicing. Garnish with praline chocolate crunch shards before serving. I love the creaminess of the praline mousse with the rich hazelnut ganache and the brandy soaked chocolate cake. Each component works to complement one another. My favorite component is the praline chocolate crunch. It’s like a Nestle Crunch Bar, but better. It provides a nice and needed textural difference to make this cake amazing. Related Recipes Salted Chocolate Hazelnut Tart Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread Maple Hazelnut Ice Cream Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Praline Chocolate Crunch No ratings yet A rich and decadent treat for chocolate lovers! Chocolate hazelnut cake layers together chocolate sponge cake, praline mousse, and hazelnut ganache. Prep Time: 35 minutes minutesCook Time: 25 minutes minutesInactive Chill Time: 50 minutes minutesTotal Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes Servings: 12 Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe IngredientsPraline Chocolate Crunch▢ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar▢ 1 ½ cups blanched hazelnuts toasted▢ 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or neutral cooking oil of choice▢ 4 oz dark chocolate chopped▢ 4 oz milk chocolate chopped▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt▢ 2 cups puffed rice cerealChocolate Sponge Cake▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour▢ 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder▢ 8 large eggs▢ 1 cup granulated sugar divided▢ 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup▢ ⅓ cup brandyHazelnut Ganache▢ ½ cup heavy cream▢ ½ cup ground roasted hazelnuts▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter room temp, cut into tablespoonsPraline Mousse▢ 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped chopped▢ 1 cup hazelnut praline paste (reserved from praline chocolate crunch)▢ 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temp, cubed▢ 1 ¾ cup heavy cream cold, divided Instructions Praline Chocolate CrunchStir sugar and ⅓ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase to high heat and cook without stirring until light amber in color, about 6 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts, then pour onto a parchment lined sheet tray, separating nuts. Let cool.Transfer candied nuts to a food processor. Add vegetable oil and puree until smooth to make praline paste.Place both chocolates and 4 Tbsp of praline paste in a medium bowl. Reserve remaining praline paste for mousse. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie) and stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.Remove from heat and stir in salt and cereal. Spread out a thin layer (between 1/8” to 1/4”) on a parchment lined sheet tray. Chill until set, about 20-30 minutes.Chocolate Sponge CakePreheat over to 375 degrees F. Line a 17x11x1” sheet pan with a butter parchment paper.Sift together flour and cocoa powder twice and set aside.Separate 4 eggs, placing yolks in a large bowl and whites in a medium bowl. Beat yolks with 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer until thick and pale in color. Add the remaining whole eggs, one at a time, blending well between additions. In another bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and corn syrup until slightly thickened and frothy. Add egg whites to yolk mixture and beat to beat.Add flour-cocoa mixture and fold to blend. Spread out on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool completely and then invert cake a peel off parchment. Brush cake with brandy.Hazelnut GanacheBring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Puree hot cream, ground hazelnuts, and salt in a food processor. Let cool to room temperature.With machine running, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Puree until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to use. Return to room temperature before use.Praline Mousse:Combine chocolate, praline paste, and butter in a medium bowl.Bring 3/4 cup cream to a boil and pour over chocolate mixture. Let stand for 1 minute before stirring. Stir until melted and mixture is smooth.Beat remaining cup of chilled cream to soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Cover and chill until ready to use.AssemblySpread hazelnut ganache over soaked cake and chill in freezer for 15 minutes.Spread praline mousse over set ganache and chill in freezer for another 15 minutes until set.Cut cake crosswise into thirds. Stack layers on top of each other. Trim edges. Place in refrigerator and chill overnight.Let cake stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Break up praline chocolate crunch into large shards and arrange on top of cake. Notesslightly adapted from Bon Appetit October 2011 *The original Bon Appetit recipe calls for a chocolate glaze to cover the cake. I felt the cake was rich enough so I omitted the glaze. NutritionCalories: 883kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 218mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 1347IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 6mg Author: Maryanne Cabrera Course: DessertCuisine: American, French Did you make this recipe?Show us on Instagram! Tag @littleepicurean and hashtag #littleepicurean.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says: September 29, 2011 This cake looks DIVINE!! What a beautiful cake to make for your friend! I love Nutella too so I know this has to be so delicious!! Reply
Tina says: September 29, 2011 This cake looks so delicious and each layer goes so well with the others. Your cakes always are so awesome. I will need to dedicate some time and try to replicate. Yum! Reply
Rosie says: September 29, 2011 Gorgeous cake! Good effort. As much as I’d like to make this cake, too, it looks really time-consuming! Reply
Anonymous says: September 29, 2011 Beautiful pics. Is the corn syrup essential to the recipe? Can you substitute something else for it? Thanks in advance!Mary Reply
thesmartcookiecook.com says: September 29, 2011 Omg I’m drooling. I am definitely a nutella lover (and a cake lover). The combination of all these layers sounds divine! And what a beautiful presentation! Yum. Reply
Ali says: September 29, 2011 Such a beautiful cake, it was worth the effort, I know I can’t make one look great like yours… Gosh the thought of your cake in my mouth is killing me. nice blog. Reply
the little epicurean says: September 30, 2011 @ Rosie- You can totally make this cake over the course of a couple days. Once you have all the components, assembling is a breeze!@ Mary- the corn syrup helps to prolong the shelf life of the cake. It keeps the cake moist. You can substitute other invert sugars like honey, glucose or molasses– but molasses might change the flavor of the cake. If you don’t have any corn syrup, you can leave it out and your cake will still turn out fine Reply
the little epicurean says: September 30, 2011 @thesmartcookie.com- Thanks! I have your healthy creme brulee recipe bookmarked :)@ Ali- If I can do it, so can you! by the way, i love your blog! Reply
lawfullyweddedwife says: September 30, 2011 This looks absolutely amazing! I think my mouth is watering. Reply
anne says: October 4, 2011 hello! will the recipe work if i take out all the nut/hazelnut ingredients? to make a chocolate cake?thanks! Reply
the little epicurean says: October 5, 2011 @ Anne- The chocolate sponge cake does not have any nuts/hazelnuts. The other components (mousse, nut butter, and chocolate crunch) have nuts. Those recipes won’t work so well without the hazelnuts. I hope that helps. Reply
Aneta Hayne says: October 8, 2011 Another gorgeous recipe from you great blog ! It looks amazing, and my family loves hazelnuts ! That might be somebodies perfect birthday cake :) Reply
itsacookaffair says: October 31, 2011 looks absolutely beautiful!as soon as i saw it, i decided im gonna make it for my birthday next month!thanks for sharing!:-) Reply
Michele says: November 16, 2011 Ok – when I found this last month I just has to try it and WOW!! was it ever good!! However, mine did not come out a “stiff” as your picture shows. Maybe I messed something up but it tasted great!! :) Reply
Joyce says: November 16, 2011 This looks so yummy – I’m already picturing myself with it along with a cup of coffee….I am going to make this soon and looking forward to enjoying it. Thanks for sharing! Reply
the little epicurean says: November 24, 2011 @Michele- Glad you tried out the cake! Sorry that it didn’t turn out the way you wanted, but at least it tasted good, right?!@Joyce-Hope it works out well for you! I’m sure it’ll be great with a nice cup of coffee. Reply
Anonymous says: April 7, 2012 I tried this and it was great, except for the cake part – the main part :( it tasted heavy and dry… Is there a trick to making a sponge cake light and moist? Reply
the little epicurean says: April 7, 2012 I’m sorry to hear that. The sponge cake recipe is directly from the Bon Appetit link. Sponge cakes are light and airy because the yolks and egg white are whipped separately. The whipped egg whites provide most of the cake’s volume. The yolks and fat help to contribute to the moistness of the cake. Perhaps you over mixed the whites and caused them to deflate? Fold the dry ingredients very gently into the eggs to keep them from deflating or worst, separating. I hope that helps.
Anonymous says: May 7, 2012 I love this recipie ….i plan on making it for a Victorian Tea the ladies are holding. they do one every year where they all dress up victorian hats and all, and drink tea chat and of course eat cake! this is perfect with the blk teas we serve. I plan on using old fshion bisket cutters before its iced and then layer them neatly so they are mini circle cakes Reply
pauline says: March 6, 2013 Just wondering… how many pieces does this recipe make approximately? I have 15 people coming over, do I need to make another cake? Reply
pauline says: March 6, 2013 oh, shoot, I noticed it after I made the note, 10-12 servings. sorry Reply
Annamaria Settanni McDonald says: March 16, 2013 Hazelnut Praline is one of my favorite additions to cake! Yum! It does provide a perfect texture! Reply
Cori says: May 20, 2013 I want to make this for my sister’s birthday next week! Can I leave out the brandy? Or will it mess up the flavor or consistency? Reply
Maryanne says: May 20, 2013 Hi Cori. Yes, you can leave out the brandy. Instead, you can brush the cake with simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar, boiled until sugar dissolves and then chilled) to prevent the cake from drying out.
Monique Bartley says: July 20, 2013 OMG, if all people were like you I would have been cozying up to everyone in my jr. high math class. I can’t tell if all the drool accumulating on my keyboard is due to the decadence of the cake or how perfectly the edges are cut! Reply
Kathleen says: August 11, 2013 Looks fantastic but I live in Denver area – you know – mile high. What would I need to do to have it work out at high altitude? Reply
Maryanne says: August 11, 2013 Hi Kathleen. I think this guide from King Arthur Flour might help: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html
Diana says: November 7, 2013 Looks DELISH…but who has time for something this labor intensive? Wish I did. Better yet I wish I had a friend that would make it for me… Yea that’s the ticket…LOL Reply
Blessy says: January 31, 2016 Hey there, I’d like to try this cake for a birthday but i’d like to bake it as a round 8″ or 9″ cake. Would you be able to help me with the measurements?if I assemble the cake as per your recipe, would it stand well as a round cake? Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 31, 2016 Hi Blessy, this cake would be difficult to make into a round cake. It is baked as a large rectangle, cut into three sections, and stacked on top of each other.
Mary C McIver says: August 27, 2020 You could use 3 9 inch cake pans, putting 1 inch of batter in each. The rectangle cake comes out to about 187 sq inches area (at 1 inch depth) and 3 9 inch circles come out to about 190 sq inches area (also at 1 inch depth). That’s a little over, but the extra would just be nibbles, right? It might be hard to get each layer 1 inch deep, and there’s a lot to do in the recipe; so I don’t know if this helps
Tammy says: January 3, 2019 OMGGGGG SUCH A HEAVENLY RECIPE ,I ABSOLUTELY LOVED MAKING IT AND HAVING IT .THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE RECIPE ? Reply
sameera says: December 23, 2020 Hai dear.. loved all your cake recipes.. but the no. of eggs to the flour ratio makes me doubtful. 8 large eggs and 1 c of flour? is it right? Reply
Teri says: February 10, 2021 Hello. I would love to make this cake but I am unsure of the measurements. What are the measurements in grams? Thank you! Reply
aneta aniszewska says: February 14, 2021 Is there supposed to be some fat in the sponge cake ? Butter or oil ? Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: February 17, 2021 The fat comes from the egg yolks. The recipe doesn’t need butter or oil.
שרון says: March 9, 2023 Its looks amazing. If i want to do this cake in a round pan, what size should it be? Reply