How was everyone’s long weekend? Mine was full of good food, long naps, and time with family—just about perfect. It felt great to unplug for a few days, step away from my phone and the usual blog routine. But now I’m back, and I couldn’t resist sharing this cake with you: a rich chocolate cake studded with hazelnuts, layered with tangy cream cheese frosting and finished with more hazelnuts. Grab a fork—this one’s worth it!
This cake is wonderfully indulgent and best shared—unless you’re prepared to keep a very dangerous slice to yourself. It’s large, decadent, and ideal for a crowd.
I adapted this from a recipe by Molly Yeh, scaling back the sugar, baking it in one pan, increasing the bake time, and swapping buttercream for a cream cheese frosting. (Healthy? Not really—delicious? Absolutely.)
Despite containing a good amount of ground hazelnuts, the cake doesn’t turn dense like many nut-based cakes. Thanks to a generous lift from baking powder and baking soda, the crumb stays light and tender. It’s oil-based, so the texture is super moist and pleasantly open compared with a standard chocolate cake.
The tang of the cream cheese frosting balances the chocolate and hazelnuts beautifully. I kept the frosting quantity moderate because I prefer less frosting, but you can double it if you’d like to cover the sides or add a thicker layer between the cake halves.
If you bake the cake in a single pan, plan extra time: it needs a long bake and it takes a while to cool completely, so it’s ideal to make it the night before serving. The cake is delicate, so slice it carefully when cutting it horizontally for layering. If that feels risky, leave it as a single-layer cake and spread the frosting on top—you’ll still end up with something delicious.
Ready to bake? Here’s the recipe:
Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup freshly boiled water
For the frosting
- 3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (about 115 g)
- 1 cup icing sugar (start with 3/4 cup and add more if needed)
- 1/3 cup cream, at room temperature (whipping cream recommended)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Toasted hazelnuts to top the cake (optional but recommended)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add the salt and sugar, stir to combine, and set aside.
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Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely crumbed. Reserve 1/4 cup of the ground hazelnuts and fold the rest into the flour mixture.
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Grease a 9-inch springform pan at least 3 inches tall and preheat the oven to 175°C (about 350°F).
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In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Use a hand mixer briefly if needed to smooth the mixture.
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Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, alternating with the boiling water. The batter will be thin; if you see small lumps of flour, quickly run the hand mixer through to even it out.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake another 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
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Allow the cake to cool completely. Run a knife around the edge, open the springform, level the top with a sharp knife, and slice the cake horizontally in the middle.
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To remove the top layer, slide a large metal spatula underneath to loosen, place an upside-down plate on it, and gently lift the layer away. If transferring the cake to a serving plate, loosen the bottom layer and slide it carefully into place.
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Make the frosting by beating the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Sift in 3/4 cup icing sugar and beat on low; add more sugar to taste. Finally, beat in the cream and vanilla on low until the frosting is light and spreadable.
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Stir the reserved ground hazelnuts into half of the frosting and spread this on the bottom layer. Gently place the top layer back on, then spread the remaining frosting over the top. Sprinkle toasted hazelnuts on top. The cake is best served at room temperature; if the frosting is very soft, chill for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
* Recipe adapted from Molly Yeh.