Hazelnuts and chocolate birthday cake

Do you remember how it felt to turn 6?
The excitement of blowing your candles surrounded by all your little friends all beaming at you.. it was your special day, your day and it felt magic. Only as a child can a birthday feel quite so magical.
They say we need to learn from our children how to feel the true magic in our daily life again and perhaps that's true.
I certainly did when I celebrated my son's 6th birthday. Pure joy that was! I made a hazelnut and chocolate cake which was very successful.
If you prefer a quicker version of this cake you can leave the topping out and enjoy it just with a light dust of powdered sugar. It is delicious anyway as the hazelnuts will make it moist and fragrant.
Of course hazelnuts and chocolate are the key ingredients of Nutella so combining the two is just perfect and will make you crave for more!
- Prep Time : 30 minutes
- Cook Time : 40 minutes
Ingredients
- self raising flour - 250 g - 2.2 cups
- eggs - 3
- ground hazelnuts - 200 g - 1 and 2/3 cups
- butter - 100 g - just under 1/2 cup
- milk - 50 ml - 1.7 fl oz
- vanilla essence - 1 tsp
- sugar - 130 g - 2/3 cup
- For the chocolate glazing:
- dark chocolate - 150 g - 5.2 oz
- fresh cream - 3 tbsp
- chopped toasted hazelnuts - 6 tbsp
- For the decoration:
- cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
- powdered (icing) sugar - 2 tbsp
- fresh whipping cream - 180 ml - 6 fl oz
Instructions
Whip the eggs with the sugar until pale and creamy.
Add the softened butter, the ground hazelnuts, the vanilla essence, the milk and finally the sifted flour. Mix well. Add some extra milk if the mixture seems a little dry.
Pour the mixture onto a well greased round baking tray (measuring approx 22 cm or 8.6 inch diameter) and cook at 180C or 350 F for 40 minutes.
Melt the chocolate with 3 tbsp of cream.
Spread it well all over the cake.
Sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts.
Whip the cream, add the cocoa powder, the powdered sugar and mix well. Put the mixture in a piping bag and decorate your cake.
Store in the fridge.
I am entering this to "Bake of the Week" hosted by Casa Costello.
I love hazelnuts and chocolate, I especially love the mini gingerbread men, they look so cute on the cake! #bakeoftheweek
Dear Alida,
So happy that your son had a wonderful birthday! This Hazelnut and Chocolate cake is so spectacular. I could just dive in a eat a piece or two. I love the flavor of hazelnuts and this is a beautiful cake to have for anyones Birthday. Thanks for sharing…have a blessed week…
Dottie 🙂
Great recipe, great photos, amazing cake! 🙂
Another beautiful and clearly very delicious cake Alida! If this is what you rustle up for a 6 year old birthday, I can’t wait to see what you make to celebrate your marriage!
Thank you Kate, I always enjoy my children’s birthday and I am sure you do too. Your cakes are just as nice x
This cake look amazing ALida!!!
GORGEOUS!!! Just beautiful! Happy Easter as well!!!!! Buona Pasqua!
Pingback: Bacon, Onion & Basil Quiche #Bakeoftheweek - Casa Costello
Hi Alida. Do you have a cake recipe using Nutella? I have two big jars and no one here is touching them, so I am thinking a cake with this product would be good? What are your thoughts?
This is a speedy recipe for nutella cookies: 180 grams nutella, 150 grams flour, 1 egg.
Put the ingredients in a bowl, mix well with a fork, using your hands form small balls and put them on a greased baking tray. Gently flatten them a little with a fork.
Bake at 180C for about 8 minutes. Let them cool down. The cookies will have quite a soft consistency whilst they are still hot.