Description
This chocolate hazelnut cake is rich and decadent without being too sweet. Red wine gives it an amazing depth of flavor!
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- ½ cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 pinch Salt
- 2 sticks Butter, Softened To Room Temperature
- 1-½ cup Sugar
- ½ cups Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- 2 whole Eggs
- 2 whole Egg Yolks
- ½ teaspoons Distilled White Vinegar
- ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Red Wine
- FOR THE FROSTING:
- 2 sticks Butter, Softened To Room Temperature
- 1 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- 3-½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 9 whole Ferrero Rocher Chocolates, For Decorating
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Spray pans liberally with cooking spray.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl to aerate the dry ingredients.
Set up a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. In its bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat until fluffy and creamy. Add chocolate hazelnut spread and let it get fully incorporated. Pour in eggs and egg yolks one at a time, followed by the vinegar and vanilla extract.
Turn the speed to low and slowly add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the wine. Then the next 1/3 of the dry ingredients goes in followed by the last of the wine. Finish the batter with the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated, to make the luscious batter.
Evenly divide the batter among the two prepared cake pans and bake the two layers for about 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out cleanly. When done, take them out and let cool for at least 20–30 minutes before turning them out onto plates or a large board to finish cooling for another 15 minutes or so.
While the cake layers bake and cool, prepare the frosting. Wash out the stand mixer bowl and paddle first, since you’ll need it. Then combine butter and chocolate hazelnut spread in the bowl and beat together thoroughly until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until it becomes a fluffy, luscious frosting.
Take the first cooled cake layer and transfer it to a cake stand with the flat side down. Spread half of the frosting on top of that layer, then place the second layer on top of it with the flat side up. Spread the rest of the frosting in a smooth layer on top. Decorate the cake with a ring of Ferrero Rocher candies around the edge and one in the middle. Slice and serve for a decadent dessert!
