I was commissioned to make a birthday cake for my lovely friend Leah. Her mother was celebrating the big 5-0 and the brief was chocolate, chocolate, fresh cream, Ferrero Rocher and more chocolate!
A word of warning with this cake - the fresh cream filling is so delicate! So, if it needs transporting, feel free to switch out the Nutella whipped cream filling with a sturdier buttercream mix.
The sponges have chocolate chips in them for added decadence and the Nutella filling is creamy and rich!
Ingredients
Sponges (3 tiers)
-340g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
-340g golden caster sugar
-6 eggs
-330g self-raising flour
-3 tbsp baking powder
-100g cocoa powder
-200g dark chocolate chips
Filling
-2 Family pack of full-fat cream cheese
-200g Caster sugar
-1 Tsp Vanilla extract
-900g Double cream
- 5 Tbsp Nutella
- 200g chopped hazelnuts
Dark Chocolate Ganache
-200g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
-250ml double cream
Hazelnut Simple Syrup
-200g caster sugar
-200ml water
- A few tablespoons of hazelnut syrup
Decoration
-Extra Nutella
-Ferrero Rocher chocolates
Method
Sponges
1) Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Lightly butter three loose-bottomed 20cm/8in cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
2) Cream together the butter and golden caster sugar, then add the eggs, baking powder, cocoa powder and flour in a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes. Next, add in the chocolate chips.
3) Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level the surface using a spatula or back of a spoon.
4) Bake for 30-35 minutes. The tops of the cakes should spring back when pressed lightly with the finger. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then take out of the tins and leave to cool completely.
5) Once cool, cut the tops off each cake to level them.
Simple Syrup
1) While the sponges are in the oven, add the sugar, water and hazelnut syrup to a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil. remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
Filling
1) Mix together the caster sugar, Nutella and cream cheese until smooth. Next, add in the double cream and whip until firm peaks form.
Decoration
1) Spread a small spoonful of Nutella onto your plate or cake board and place the first sponge on top. Poke holes into the sponge and drizzle the simple syrup over the sponge.
2) Using a palette knife, spread a thin coating of Nutella onto the cake.
3) Next, using a palette knife or piping bag, cover the cake layer with the Nutella cream filling. Sprinkle the top with chopped hazlenuts.
4) Repeat this process with the second and third tier but leave the top of the third tier plain.
5) Using a scraper, go round the whole cake taking off the excess frosting. Crumb coat the cake in a very thin layer of frosting to cake the crumbs and place in the fridge for 3 minutes to firm up.
6) Once firm, cover the entire cake in a thicker layer all frosting. Using a palette knife, drag warmed Nutella spread in patches on the cake. Once complete, place in the fridge to firm up.
TIP: If you find the Nutella won't stick to the cake, mix the Nutella with a bit of the frosting, it should make the Nutella stick better.
7) Once firm, drip the ganache (method below) around the outside top of the cake using a dripping bottle or teaspoon. Let cool for a moment.
8) Using a large star tip piping nozzle, pipe large rosettes onto the cake (you can either use the original Nutella fresh cream, or create a firmer, thicker mixture by adding more cocoa powder and Nutella to it)
9) Place a Ferrero Rocher chocolate onto each rosette.
10) Finish with a cake topper or sparklers!
Ganache Drip
1) Chop the dark chocolate finely and place into a glass bowl. Pour the double cream into sauce pan and heat until it just begins to simmer.
2) Pour the hot cream over the chocolate pieces and let it sit for 2 minutes without touching it. Then, carefully stir the mixture very gradually.
TIP: If you find the chocolate hasn't melted completely, place the bowl into the microwave for 10 second bursts until it has melted.
TIP: If the mixture has separated or gone grainy, place the glass bowl over boiling water on the hob and reheat. Also heat up some milk in a separate pan until warm. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time to the cream and chocolate and whisk like fury! The oil will separate from the dairy at first, but persevere with whisking and it will come back together and turn into perfect ganache!
3) Leave the ganache to cool to just warmer than room temperature.
Credit to: Mary Berry (Chocolate sponges)
This cake must be stored in the fridge. Keep for up to 3 days.
