Go Back

Dark Chocolate Cake with Hazelnuts (Making With Megan)

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Dessert
Calories: 533
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup hot coffee or water
  • 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted *optional
Dark Chocolate Frosting
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 8 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup unsweetened, dark cocoa powder
  • 4-5 Tbsp milk

Method
 

  1. Turn oven to 300°F to preheat.
  2. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Then add in the hot coffee (or water).
  4. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with baking spray (or grease and dust with flour) and divide the batter evenly among them.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The cake is ready when the center doesn't jiggle at all and feels slightly springy when you touch it.
  6. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip them onto cooling racks to finish cooling completely.
For the Frosting
  1. Beat the butter and shortening together until well mixed.
  2. Slowly beat in 4 1/4 cups of the powdered sugar.
  3. Then beat in the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk.
  4. Slowly beat in the remaining 4 cups of powdered sugar.
  5. Beat in 2-3 more tablespoons of milk. (You may keep adding milk-- a couple tablespoons at a time-- until the frosting is thinner, if you prefer)
Assemble the Cake
  1. Place the first cake layer on a platter and spread a thin layer of frosting on its top. Using a piping bag with a couple, but no tip, pipe a barrier around the edge of the cake.
  2. Sprinkle half of the toasted hazelnuts on top of the cake, inside the frosting barrier.
  3. Place another cake layer on top of that and repeat with more frosting and the remaining hazelnuts.
  4. Place the last layer on top and frost the whole cake with the remaining frosting.

Notes

Nutrition Information was calculated including 1 cup of hazelnuts.
Calories: 533
Fat: 28 grams
Carbs: 73 grams
Protein: 4 grams