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Chocolate Hazelnut Cake – A rich, chocolatey cake full of toasted hazelnut flavor. If you love Nutella, you’ll love this incredible dessert that’s ideal for special occasions.
I first saw this delicious cake years ago on the Food Network. Anything that has hazelnut in the name, I want to try. This Chocolate Hazelnut Cake reminds me of Gooey Brownie Pie but with hazelnuts.
Speaking of hazelnuts, one of my favorite treats to have around in the summer are Nutella No-Bake Bars. And if you’ve never tried Nutella Donuts, definitely put that on your list to try, too. Nothing beats warm donuts filled with creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread–except this cake!
Why This Recipe Woks
- This cake is dense and decadent. It tastes like a rich and fudgy hazelnut brownie!
- You only need about 10 minutes of prep time to get this treat baking in the oven.
- A perfect dessert for entertaining that’s sure to impress.
- As it bakes, it gets a crackly top that’s simply to die for.
- It’s a naturally gluten-free recipe.
What You’ll Need
- Hazelnuts – Ground hazelnuts add structure and an incredible nutty flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Chocolate chips add a melty, gooey chocolate element to this cake.
- Almond flour – Almond flour gives more structure to the cake and a touch of almond flavor.
- Sugar – Sugar gets ground and melted with chocolate to make a smooth paste.
- Eggs – Eggs provide structure and richness. They also help the ingredients to stick together.
- Butter – Butter adds a rich flavor to make the cake super satisfying.
- Vanilla extract – Fragrant vanilla enhances the hazelnut and chocolate flavors.
- Hot water – Hot water melts the chocolate and sugar together to make the chocolate paste for the cake.
Hazelnuts
This little brown nut is the star of the show here. If you have fresh hazelnuts at home, make sure you remove their shells before roasting. In fact, it’s way easier to buy them shelled.
To roast them, place the shelled nuts on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 275°F for roughly 15 minutes. They should be lightly browned and smell nutty but not burnt.
To remove their skins, let them cool for about 5 minutes. Then, while they’re still warm, rub a small handful between your palms to rub the skins off. Or you can place them in a clean kitchen towel and remove the skins that way.
How To Make Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
- Prepare your pan – Butter and flour a 9-inch pie or tart pan. Set aside.
- Make the dry mix – In a food processor, pulse 4 oz. of the chocolate chips, hazelnuts, and almond flour until the hazelnuts are coarsely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Grind sugar and chocolate – Blend the remaining chocolate chips and sugar to a fine texture in the food processor.
- Add the hot water – As the machine is running, gradually add the hot water until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients – Add the eggs, butter, and vanilla to the food processor. Pulse until well-blended.
- Add the dry mix – Add the hazelnut mixture to the food processor, then pulse to incorporate. Then, pour the mixture into your prepared pie or tart pan.
- Bake and cool – Bake for 35 minutes in a 350°F oven. Remove and cool for 1 hour on a cooling rack. Then refrigerate for two hours.
- Temper and serve – Before serving, set the pie out for 30 minutes to let it return to room temperature. Serve with whipped cream on top.
Recipe Tips
- This cake puffs up slightly as it bakes. It will settle when you remove it from the oven, so it’s okay if it looks a little sunken!
- Serve with a dollop (or a piped rosette) of fresh whipped cream on top. It would also be great with vanilla bean ice cream.
- Sprinkle the top with candied hazelnuts for a gorgeous presentation.
- I like to make this cake in a springform pan, so it’s easy to serve up perfect slices. But if you don’t have one, a pie plate or tart pan works great, too.
You can use all-purpose flour instead of almond flour without any problems. It’s such a small amount to replace that it would still be a relatively low-gluten cake, too.
If you’re not a fan of semi-sweet chocolate, feel free to use dark chocolate chips instead. Around 70% cocoa would be perfect for this recipe. You could also try milk chocolate if you prefer.
How To Serve Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
This elegant hazelnut cake pairs perfectly with an adult beverage. Start with a Bailey’s White Russian or a mug of Kahlua Hot Chocolate for a creamy drink. My Spiked Apple Cider with caramel vodka would also be a delicious match.
For iced drinks with a brighter flavor, start the party with Easy Christmas Sangria or refreshing Pomegranate Gin and Tonics.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
There’s more hazelnut where that came from with these decadent Nutella recipes!
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies – A mind-blowing twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie.
- Homemade Nutella – That’s right, you can make your own hazelnut chocolate spread right at home.
- Nutella Cupcakes – Filled with Nutella and topped with Nutella buttercream to make the ultimate cute comfort treat.
- Nutella Ice Cream – Delicately flavored with Nutella, this could make the best ice cream sundae you’ve ever had.
- Nutella Crepes – Take Nutella to brunch with these scrumptious filled crepes.
- Nutella Skillet Cookie – A giant Nutella cookie with gooey Nutella filling–great for serving a crowd.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 4 large eggs, divided
- 8 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
- 10 Tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
- Add the hazelnuts to a food processor with ½ cup of the sugar. Process until you have a coarse flour texture.1 cup hazelnuts, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, or a hand mixer beat the egg whites with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until you have soft peaks. You want the egg whites to fluff up, but still be soft and fall over when you scoop the whisk through them.4 large eggs
- Heat chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Once melted add in the vanilla and beat in the 4 egg yolks until well combined.8 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, 10 Tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the hazelnut flour to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
- Add about a third of the chocolate mixture to the egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold together. When the whites just disappear add another third of the chocolate until everything is combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the mixture puffs up, cracks on top and the center is completely set.
- Remove and let cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This pie is AMAZING! So rich and decadent. Everyone loved it!
I love hazelnuts in baked goods, I can already tell this is going to be a big hit!
Very best pie ever!
This is so good! Everytime I make it, everyone asks for the recipe. Perfection!
You had me at Nutella. This pie is so good!!!