Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake

This is a real "keep it sweet and simple" cake.  And it's good -  so good that I've made it three times in the past 2 weeks. I'd have made it even more, but for the fact that I ran out of friends to serve it to, and I don't like to serve the same thing to the same people twice in a short time - I have standards!

The cake is often referred to as a #one bowl chocolate cake or  #the best chocolate cake ever.
I have no idea why I used the hashtag here - I'm a social media #illiterati - but it seemed like a good enough place to throw it in ; )

All you're going to need is that  ## (yes - it's a double hashtag) chocolate cake and a jar of  Nutella.
I added some chopped hazelnuts because I love this combination of textures and flavours -  moist rich chocolate cake; crunchy nuts, and silky, delicious Nutella.

Chocolate Cake
Recipe from more sources than I know how to credit

Preheat the oven to 180'C
Grease and line 2 x 20cm round cake pans, or 3 x 18cm round pans


2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot black coffee

Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl; add the rest of the ingredients except the coffee, and mix until combined. Mix in the coffee.

Pour into your prepared tins.

Bake at 180'C until a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached - approx 20 minutes if you've used 3 layer pans, 30 minutes if you've used 2.


Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely before removing from the cake pans.

Spread Nutella* generously between each layer of cake, and on the top, and sprinkle with roughly chopped hazelnuts.

* a hot knife helps to spread the Nutella easily and smoothly.


Sweet and simple right?

For more Nutella recipes see here - Nutella Cake
and here - Nutella Cheesecake

Enjoy!

xxM