Naughty Nutella Frosted Chocolate Cake

So, you know how there’s very little in life that’s better than chocolate cake?

Well, I have a secret for you my friend – I’ve found it; and no it isn’t winning the lottery or even scoring a date with Bradley Cooper (neither of which you can achieve with eight ounces of kerrygold and a pre-heated oven I can assure you!) No, it is my very special, incredibly indulgent Nutella Frosted Chocolate Cake.


There’s only one way to take an already delicious chocolate cake to the next level – and that’s by adding the nectar of the gods that is Nutella. So enough wise-cracking, go grab your apron and let’s get started.

Ingredients

Base:
8oz butter or margarine 
6oz self-raising flour
8oz caster sugar
4 free range eggs 
3oz good quality cocoa powder

Frosting:
200ml Double Cream
1 knob of butter 
1 huge dollop of Nutella 
300g dark chocolate (melted)

Method

So as you know by now I am a huge fan in the all-in-one method, any recipe which gives you the ability to get that cake cooking as soon as possible is more than ideal for me – which is exactly how I’ve created this recipe for you!

First up, whack the oven on to 180° then grease and line two circular baking trays with parchment, (this is my preferred method as it makes it easier to get the cake out once baked, but if you have a method which suits you better – go ahead and do that!)

So you’re going to want to measure our all of your base ingredients and place everything into your mixer and get it, erm...mixing. You’ll want to have it going on high for about 20 seconds, then take a baking spatula and ensure you’re incorporating all the ingredients which will be sticking to the sides.

Mix again on high for about another 10 seconds or until you’re happy that all ingredients are combined in a deliciously smooth mixture!

Next you’re going to distribute the mixture evenly into two greased and lined circular baking trays and place them in the centre of your now pre-heated oven for approximately 25 minutes.

Make sure your cake bases are ready by sticking a knife or a toothpick into the middle, if it comes out clean, you’re ready to go! If there is some batter left on the handle, pop them back in the oven and check again every 5 minutes.

Once your sponge bases are out of the oven, you’re going to want to ease them out of the tins by using the edge of your parchment, remove the parchment completely and allow them to cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack. While you’re waiting, let’s move onto the frosting!

So first up you’re going to want to melt your dark chocolate, this is best done by heating a small amount of water in a saucepan, placing a glass bowl on top (sidenote: the bowl should not touch the water.) And breaking the chocolate inside – you may as well go ahead and eat a cube of it yourself, you’ve gotta know if it’s the good stuff!

Once you’ve melted your chocolate, place to one side to cool. Then, get out a mixing bowl and pour in your double cream and margarine and mix by hand until a smooth consistency.

Next add your melted chocolate and a huge dollop (technical term) of Nutella and mix again. This may take a few minutes to incorporate fully, but on the plus side, you’ll have envious biceps by the morning. This part is all about personal taste, so once you have a smooth mixture, take a clean spoon and taste your concoction; I like my frosting to be very Nutella-ey so I sometimes add a little extra but if you’re happy with the flavour so far, put that wooden spoon down and have a rest!

So by now your sponge should be cool, decide which your top and bottom is and before you begin spooning the frosting onto the top of the bottom half, add another cheeky layer of Nutella, just for an extra somethin’ somethin’ – trust me, you won’t regret it!

Once you’re happy with that layer, place your top sponge directly over it and spoon on the remaining mixture to the top, I like to let mine drizzle over the sides a little for an extra homemade look – but if you’re a perfectionist you can sculpt to your heart’s content with a palette knife.

Almost finished! The final steps are all about making it look show-stopping. So I take a mixture of medium Toblerone triangles and Ferrior Roches and place them alternatively around the cake until the edges are full. Then, for the final flourish, I’m gonna melt some white chocolate in the same way we did earlier, and drizzle the delicious stuff directly on top. This is the final bit of yummy-ness that I think just pushes the cake over the edge into pure indulgence.

If you want to impress, or just give one of your friends a super sweet treat, this cake is totally the way to go. So go get your bake on, and serve with a side of milk and gossip while you chow down on some naughty Nutella godliness!

Also - if you're like me and not the biggest fan of a traditional Christmas cake - this is a fab alternative which you can impress your fam with whilst tuning into The Muppet Christmas Carol (that's normally my plan anyway.)

Ciao! xx