Chocolate Nutella Cake

This one-bowl Nutella chocolate cake is extraordinarily decadent and easy to make. The flavor of Nutella encompasses every bite along with chunks of milk chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. You’re going to love this cake!

You all know that I like easy desserts–in fact, the simpler the better! Lately, I’ve been making a lot of cakes from Yossy Arefi’s cookbook, Snacking Cakes, which was named the best cookbook of the year by The New York Times and Bon Appetit Magazine.

If you love to bake then you’re probably familiar with Yossy Arefy. She’s a baker, cookbook author, food stylist, and the creator of the blog Apt 2B Baking Co. All the recipes in her cookbook are quick, easy and many are made in a single bowl–that means less prep time AND less clean up (who doesn’t love that?). If you haven’t checked out her or her book yet, I highly recommend it! 

This milk chocolate Nutella cake is one of my favorite of Arefy’s recipes. While I have several Nutella-based recipes on my blog already, like my Nutella brownies and Hazelnut Nutella Sandwich Cookies, one more can’t hurt :). This cake combines similar flavors as the Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe I posted last year, but is made with a simpler method that does not require a double boiler.

This one is just as incredibly moist and chocolatey, with Nutella flavor and milk chocolate in every bite. The cake is also topped with toasted hazelnuts, adding the perfect texture and crunch. It makes a great Christmas dessert, or enjoy it any time of year!

How to make chocolate Nutella cake

1. Start by whisking the sugar and egg together in a bowl for one minute. You want the mixture to start looking pale and foamy, which means air is being incorporated so your cake isn’t dense.
   
2. Add in Nutella, oil, milk, vanilla, and salt and whisk together until everything is combined. Then, add in the cocoa powder and mix. 
   
3. Lastly, you’ll add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and combine. 
   
4. Next, add the coffee or water and mix together. Finally, add the milk chocolate chunks and fold in using a rubber spatula. 
   
5. That’s it! Once you pour your batter into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan, top with hazelnuts and it’s ready for the oven.

Tips for making chocolate Nutella cake 

• Don’t overmix the batter. While you want all of the ingredients to be fully incorporated, overmixing will result in a denser cake. Mix your ingredients just until they come together.
  
• Heat the Nutella in the microwave until it’s slightly softened (but not hot) so it combines easily into the egg mixture.
  
• Use good quality cocoa powder and milk chocolate for the best flavor. I prefer using milk chocolate bars and chopping them into bite-size pieces, but you can also use milk chocolate chips if it’s what you have on hand.

More of my favorite Nutella dessert recipes:

• Nutella Stuffed Cookies – Made with a soft sugar cookie dough and filled with creamy Nutella. They’re rich, delicate, amazing.
• Nutella Banana Cake: Rich, tender, moist banana cakes swirled with gobs of Nutella.
• No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake – Rich and velvety smooth! This no-bake dessert tastes amazing.
• Nutella Fudge – Made with both white and dark chocolates and hazelnuts for amazing texture.
• Chocolate Banana Tart – Made with crunchy chocolate cookie crust, fresh bananas and rich Nutella ganache.

Chocolate Nutella Cake

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

YIELD: 16 squares

 

An incredibly simple, one-bowl recipe that's perfectly rich and so easy to make!

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup (160g) Nutella
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) neutral oil, like canola or vegetable
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) hot coffee or water
• 1/4 cup (40g) milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate
• 1/4 cup (25g) hazelnuts, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease an 8×8-inch pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs and sugar for about 1 minute until well combined. Add Nutella, oil, milk, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well combined and smooth. Stir in the coffee or water, then fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

4. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Scatter the chopped hazelnuts over the top. Bake cake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Cake can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.