Ferrero Rocher Cake

A slice of Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Hazelnut Cake on a white plate against a white background.

The most delicious Ferrero Rocher Cake you'll ever have! This three layer cake features a really moist chocolate hazelnut cake. Between each layer is a thin spread of milk chocolate buttercream then a soft whipped Nutella filling studded with chopped hazelnuts. Once this cake is fully frosted we added a chocolate ganache drip for dramatic effect and chocolate swirls that are topped with unwrapped Ferrero Rocher candies. This is the cake of your dreams, promise!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 2 30

Cook Time 30

Assembly Time 1

Total Time 4

Servings servings

Calories 1464kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Ingredients

6-8 Ferrero Rocher candies optional, for topping and decorating the cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon hazelnut emulsion
1 cup hot water

Whipped Nutella Filling

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup Nutella
3/4 cup hazelnuts chopped

Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream

10 oz milk chocolate baking bars chopped
6-7 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter slightly softened
pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
5 oz toasted hazelnuts chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy cream You may need a couple tablespoons more to get it to the right consistency to be able to “drip” down the cake (see note)

Instructions

Chocolate Hazelnut Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by spraying well with non-stick spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, hazelnut emulsion, and vanilla until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until combined. Pour in the hot water and mix on medium speed until combined.
Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the cake pans and allow cakes to cool on a cooling rack until completely cool.

Whipped Nutella Filling

In a large bowl add the heavy cream. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Add the Nutella and whip again until smooth and well combined.
Fold in the hazelnuts with a rubber spatula. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use. This will stiffen as it chills. Remove it from the fridge 30-40 minute prior to using it.

Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream

To toast the hazelnuts, preheat oven to 350° F. Add the hazelnuts to a sheet pan in a single layer. Toast for 6-12 minutes, or until the hazelnuts are fragrant and turn a light golden brown. After 6 minutes have passed, keep a close eye on them to ensure they don’t get burnt.
In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chopped milk chocolate and 6 tablespoons of heavy cream. Microwave for 30 second intervals, mixing well after every 30 seconds, until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and even. Place in the fridge until it comes to room temperature or a little cooler.
To a food processor, add 4 oz of toasted hazelnuts and process until a paste forms. Scrape the sides of the food processor as needed. Set aside.
To the bowl of a stand mixer add butter and mix until light and fluffy. Add the hazelnut paste and the chocolate/cream mixture and beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Slowly add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time. If the buttercream gets too stiff, add another tablespoon or two of heavy cream and beat well.
Once all of the ingredients have been added, beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Store in the fridge if not using within a few hours. About 3 hours before decorating the cake, remove the buttercream from the fridge. Once the buttercream has softened, use a stand mixer and beat it on medium speed to make it smooth and spreadable.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip

Heat the cream in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave until hot, then pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Assembly

Spread a dollop of buttercream in the center of a clean cake board or stand. Place a cake layer on top of it. This will help keep the cake from sliding around while you assemble and decorate it.
Spread a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut buttercream evenly over the cake.
Pipe a rim of the buttercream around the top to create a dam, and add about ¾ cup of the whipped Nutella filling (should be about half the amount of the Nutella whipped filling).
Repeat steps 1-3 with the second layer of cake, placing the second cake layer on top of the first layer.
Place the third cake layer on top and crumb coat the entire cake in a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut buttercream. Refrigerate or freeze for a few minutes, until the buttercream is cold and firm.
Add the final layer of frosting around the entire cake. Add the chocolate ganache drip around the outside of the cake and fill in the top with more ganache. Add additional decoration as desired. We used Wilton tip 1M to make our swirls and topped each one with an unwrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolate.

Notes

Dark Chocolate Ganache Tip

When making the ganache for the drip, I like to do a test drip on the edge of a tall cup to see if it runs down the cup as far as I want it to. If it isn’t running down as much as I’d like, I’ll either add a tablespoon of cream or warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds if it’s gotten too cool. Getting the right consistency for a ganache drip takes patience because there are so many factors that play into it: temperature of the cake, temperature of the ganache, how much cream has been added, and the brand and percentage of cacao of the chocolate. When I’m ready to add my drip to the cake I like to do a test drip on the back of the cake to make sure all of the factors are working together to make the perfect drip.

Store cake leftovers covered in the fridge for 3-5 days.

To freeze the cake, flash freeze for about 30 minutes until the buttercream is completely set. Remove and wrap the cake completely in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 1 week. If freezing longer, wrap in an additional layer of aluminum foil and freeze for 1-2 months.

Freeze cake layers the same way.

Remove any frozen elements or the frozen frosted cake from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight.

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