This has been dubbed the Nutella Death Cake, due to the following reasons:
- The cake is chocolate flavored with Frangelico (both in the batter and brushed on the layers)
- Cream Cheese. In the batter, in the frosting.
- Speaking of frosting - there is an entire jar of Nutella in there. Yum.
- Nutella Ganache in between the layers.
- Roasted, chopped hazelnuts around the edges.
We also had to make this cake egg free, as a friend of ours has a severe egg allergy. The accompaniment to this luscious, hazelnutty-chocolate goodness? Peanut butter chocolate swirl ice cream, and vanilla ice cream, also homemade and also egg free.
The Birthday Girl? Loved it. She's a big fan of nutella, needless to say.
Here's a shot of that luscious frosting being slathered on the cake layers:
The cake only looks small because of my wide-angle lens, and Nick's hands are huge.
And, because it would be cruel to leave you without one, here is the recipe:
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake from A World of Baking by Dolores Casella
All ingredients at room temperature.
2 Cups sifted pastry or cake flour (I used AP)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 ounce package sweet cooking chocolate (I recommend Valrhona)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 pound cream cheese
1 1/2 cups superfine granulated sugar
2 large eggs (for those that are egg-sensitive, use about 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Optional: 2 shots Frangelico (hazelnut liquer)
Preheat oven to 350˚. Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Cream butter + cream cheese until blended, then add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs or yogurt one at a time, then vanilla, then Frangelico. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk, and beat until well blended. At this point, if the batter looks really thick (as it did for me), add a bit more milk and blend until it is still thick but pourable. Pour into two 9-inch buttered + floured cake pans, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until done. I recommend these be slightly underdone to bring out the fudgy consistency. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn onto racks to finish cooling.
Ganache:
In a double boiler, warm about 1/2-3/4 cup of nutella and about 1/4 cup of milk, stir to combine. We did this by eye - you're looking for a smooth, slightly runny consistency but still thick enough to stick to the cake. It needs to be less gooey than Nutella straight from the jar so it's easily spreadable.
Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar
1 jar (13 oz) Nutella
1/4 cup whipping cream
Beat the cream cheese and sugar with paddle attachment until fluffy. Add the Nutella and cream alternately until well blended. When done, the frosting should be smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate until use.
Hazelnuts:
Roast about 1/2-3/4 pound raw hazelnuts for 15 minutes, until they are fragrant and are golden in the middle. Cool in a damp towel for 10 minutes, then rub vigorously to remove the skins. Some will not come off. When skins are mostly removed, chop finely. Note: I tried putting these in a blender - not a good idea unless you want hazelnut meal. a food processor, however, would probably work really well. Or you could go the easy route and buy pre-chopped and roasted nuts, but the flavor would not be as fresh.
Assembly:
Slice both cakes in half (so you have more surface for the ganache). Liberally brush with more Frangelico. You should now have 4 layers. Place a dot in the center of your cake plate to anchor the first layer, and spread Nutella ganache over this layer. Repeat with the next two layers. Top with final layer, and spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Press chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of cake and top if you desire. May be refrigerated. This cake is super dense and chocolatey, so serve accordingly.
Yum.
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