Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Filling

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Filling

Let me just repeat the name of this cake one more time so it really sinks in. Chocolate. Cake. with Hazelnut. Mousse. Filling. All I can say about this is wow! If I had one more day to live and I had to choose my last meal, I'd have a steak and then eat that mousse until my heart stopped.

I made this cake for my lovely cousin Emili's 23rd birthday! This is us showing our cousinly love... after some bonding over tequila...

The recipe is a lot of work and took me almost the whole day to prepare it, with a couple hour break for yoga/lunch/shower while the cakes cooled. Part of it was because I forgot a step and my first cake was destroyed when I tried to take it out of the pan.... BUT it was definitely worth it. You always have the option of substituting boxed chocolate cake mix for the cake part of the recipe, but I think it's much more rewarding and delicious if you make it yourself.

See the Original Recipe here

The recipe:

Cake:

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk (Vitamin D milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup hot water

Filling:
8 oz heavy whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (a.k.a. Nutella)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
Leftover Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Chocolate Hazelnut Candy (Ferrero Rocher is the best) - a 12 pack gets you enough for the topping plus a couple to snack on as you're baking :)

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9" round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment circles, cut to fit pan. Spray pan again, coating the parchment paper. Seriously. Use the parchment paper. I forgot the parchment paper the first time and my cake turned out looking like this:

Combine flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Add in eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and water. Once all ingredients are mixed together turn mixer speed up to medium low and mix for 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly among 2 cake pans - or if you only have one pan like me, fill pan about halfway and save the rest for after the first one is done. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until center is set and toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
With whisk attachment, beat your heavy cream until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to another bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese and chocolate hazelnut spread until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and incorporated.

Fold in reserved whipped cream.

           

Level one of the cakes, so it isn't domed. One of my cakes was already pretty flat, so I skipped this step. Spread Chocolate Hazelnut Spread on top of cake.

Spread half of the Filling mixture on top, spreading out to 1 inch away from edge of cake. Top with the other cake. 

 Place remaining filling mixture on top.

Top with Chocolate Hazelnut Candy. 

Microwave remaining chocolate hazelnut spread for 30-45 seconds until pourable consistency and drizzle over top. I found this step really difficult so I treated the spread like splatter paint....

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Enjoy!! Happy Birthday Emili!