My last post was anything chocolate, which I associate with Valentine’s day. Since I’ve never really celebrated this day, I guess my knowledge is coming from television and advertisements which are inundated with the red hearts, and pictures of shiny beautiful couples who seem madly in love. Ugh…
I have promised myself a cliched Valentine. I just am going to do it! I started with the Apple Crumble which I know my guy loves. Easy! But what is a day like this (as I am reminded everywhere I go) without the chocolate. And as I know he may not appreciate it too much, ehm… this one is for me. I was never much of a chocolate lover but these days I can’t get enough of it. I allow myself one piece of chocolate every day. It’s good for health of course… 🙂
This cake follows my love affair with hazelnuts. I think its the most gorgeous combination. And, in my present state of mind (feeling naughty?) I can’t get enough of it.
And what an easy cake this is. And it looks magnificent doesn’t it? It literally is slapping stuff together. You can make this. And girl, eat it, for you. Don’t wait for your guy to buy you chocolates, make this cake! Put the chocolate in your mouth, pour the chocolate on the cake or… (hehe)
Let’s get started. <3 <3 <3
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- For the Cake
- 100 grams hazelnut flour (from around ¾ cups of hazelnuts)
- 120 grams cake flour
- 210 grams brown sugar
- 3 tbsps cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 90 ml coconut oil
- ½ cup freshly brewed coffee
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- For the Cream in between the Layers
- 200 grams soft butter
- 200 grams dark chocolate
- 200 grams milk chocolate with hazelnuts
- 100 grams hazelnut wafers, broken roughly ( you can also use vanilla wafers)
- For the Ganache
- 200 grams dark chocolate
- 100 grams milk chocolate
- 50 grams butter
- 100 ml cream
- ferrero rocher chocolates to decorate
- To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 175°C/350°F.
- Grease and flour a baking pan.
- Grind the hazelnuts till very fine. (Tip: to prevent the oil from separating, add 2-3 tablespoons of the sugar from the recipe to grind along with the nuts).
- Mix all the dry ingredients except the sugar. Whisk the sugar with the eggs till light and fluffy.
- Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or till your tester comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking. Let cool completely.
- To prepare the cream. In a double boiler melt the chocolates. Bring to room temperature once melted. Add the butter and whisk till everything comes together. Add the broken wafers and fold in.
- To prepare the ganache, melt the chocolates and the butter in a double boiler. Mix in the cream.
- To put the cake together. Once the cake is completely cooled down, slice it in half with a sharp knife. Don't fret if its not neat, you wont see anything of it once we pour the chocolate on top!
- Spoon the cream on top of the first layer. Spread evenly and place second layer of cake on top. Press down gently and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- Take out the cake after 30 minutes and pour the ganache on top.
- Place the Ferrero Rocher chocolates on top as you like and however many you like.
- Slice and place in mouth!!!
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Mmmm…. Looks delicious!
Thank you!
This cake is so decadent! Your photos are beautiful, too.
Thank you so much! And this cake is sooo deliciously decadent. 🙂
This cake is incredibly gorgeous. I love how sinful it looks 🙂
Thank you Kathleen. We should all indulge in chocolaty sinfulness on V day right?! 😉
I have no words……… Extreme cravings!
Thank you! 🙂
Ugh that looks so good…so rich and chocolaty, Mmm 🙂
Thanks June!
Wow! Everything about this cake – the recipe, the styling – is beyond creative!
Reblogged this on The Feast Fairy and commented:
This looks absolutely heavenly!
Oh my goodness! Definitely making this as soon as possible!
This just looks unbelievably good!! I’m definitely making it to believe it 😀 I’m planning to make it over 2 days. Make the cake the first day and then the filling and ganache the second. Just a question, do youthink this cake would refrigerate well, once it has been assembled fully? Will the wafer crumbs get soggy?
Oh god Shilpa I never got a notification for your comment. So sorry. I know this months later so not sure you need this info but this cake is best eaten same day. The wafers do go soft I’m afraid but having said that, they still taste great!
Trying to make this for my daughter’s birthday tomorrow, but there are no measurements or speak of cream or hazelnuts in the recipe….Just that you should add them…?
Dear Renee, all the measurements are in the recipe. Unfortunately it was in the old format and I have updated it so you can find it easier to find the various elements in the recipe. Do let me know how the cake turns out!
Thanks for the amazing recipe! I am going to make the cake this month.
Could you please specify what you meant by “vanilla” in the ingredients? Was it an extract or vanilla sugar or vanilla essence?
Also, what diameter of a baking form did you use?
The last one: do you think that it will be fine if I double the ingredients and make the cake twice taller?
Thanks again!
Great to hear Olga! The vanilla in the recipe is indeed vanilla extract. I have fixed that in the recipe. The diameter of the cake form I used is 25 cms or about 10 inches. So quite big. You can definitely double the recipe to make a taller cake but why not try and make the diameter smaller? This way you don’t have to double the recipe and the cake will look much cuter, smaller and taller.
Do let me know how your cake turns out!