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Cookies and cupcakes are my comfort zone. Cakes are not something I make a lot of or have practiced enough. I am always amazed by the cake creations people have out there. Practice makes perfect, or so they say. My husband has been wanting some type of cake for a little while now. He likes chocolate cake. Me, I’m more of a vanilla cake girl. So, thinking of a chocolate cake that I might also enjoy is where I started. I am a big fan of brownies. You can never go wrong with a good brownie. I am guilty of getting the bite sized brownies at the grocery store and eating way too many at one time. Brownies became the inspiration for this week’s yummy dessert – Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake with Hazelnut whipped cream frosting.
I originally wanted to find some hazelnut extract or emulsion, but was unsuccessful at my local grocery store. Substituting on the fly, literally standing in the grocery store aisle, hazelnut spread came to mind. I got to baking the cake, you know, the easy part. Once it was done, now the hard part starts, assembling and decorating. I always have trouble with cutting cakes in half. I like the wire method, but not having one available to me, a knife would have to do. She wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t awful either. I take that as a win. I haven’t been courageous enough yet to make a cake with more than 2 layers. I assemble my Chocolate chip brownie cake with the whipped cream frosting and a little extra crunch on top with some mini chocolate chips. I used a normal whipped cream recipe, but you could also use the stabilized whipped cream recipe to make the frosting. A couple of recommendations I have for next time, is a little bit of a cake soak and some chopped up hazelnuts for the middle of the cake, but it was simple, scrumptious, and satisfies that chocolate craving.
Needless to say, it was enjoyed. I want to practice more with cakes, but just always find myself wanting to make cookies or cupcakes. Cupcakes are a form of cake, right? Maybe one day I will perfect caking. For now, I will just keep trying, and enjoy my learning opportunities as they pop up.
Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake w/Hazelnut Whipped Cream Frosting
Equipment
- 1 9" Round Cake Pan
Ingredients
Cake ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups AP flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup water warmed
- 1-2 cups mini chocolate chips semi-sweet
Frosting ingredients
- 16 oz whipping cream
- 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar to taste
- 3/4-1 1/2 cups hazelnut spread again, to taste
Assembly (optional)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips semi-sweet
- 1 cup hazelnuts
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Pre heat oven to 350°. Line pan with parchment paper. (you can cut it or buy pre cut liners)
- In your dry bowl, whisk AP flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In your wet bowl, whisk or mix the sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla together.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients.
- Add the buttermilk and warmed water in and mix.
- Once it is mixed until their are no clumps, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and baking in the oven for about 40 minutes. Check with a cake tester or toothpick in the middle of the cake. Once it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Once done baking, set the cake in the pan on a rack to cool, about 30 mins.
- Loosen cake around the edges of the pan with a frosting knife and flip cake out of pan until it's completely cooled.
To make the whipped cream frosting:
- Place bowl and whisk attachment that you will be making the whipped cream with in the fridge for at least 15 minutes prior to making the frosting.
- Pour all the the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and beat on med-high until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and continue to whip until sugar is incorporated and peaks are more defined.
- Add your hazelnut spread and whip on high, just long enough for the color to change to light brown. (about 1 minute)
- Place bowl with frosting back into the fridge until you are ready to assemble your cake.
Cake assembly:
- Cut your completely cooled cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom on a plate or cake stand.
- Pull your frosting from the fridge and put a thick layer or frosting on your bottom cake layer. This should equal less than half of your frosting.
- Optional: Sprinkle mini chocolate chips and hazelnuts on top of the frosting.
- Place top cake layer on top of the frosted bottom layer.
- Frost the top and side of the cake in a semi-even layer throughout. I personally like to do a little bit more frosting on top than I do the sides. It's all personally preference here.
- Optional: Sprinkle an additional layer of mini chocolate chips or hazelnuts on top.
7 responses to “Sometimes All You Need is Cake”
Looks amazing!!!
Yum! This looks delicious!
I’m also not really a cake baker. I’ve never actually made one. I stick to cupcakes, brownies or cookies haha so kudos to you for trying this out. It looks as if it turned out fine. I love hazelnut so this flavor is on point in my book. Great job.
this looks delicious, love the idea of using hazelnut spread in the whipping cream.
This sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Yum! Gimme a bite! Looks amazing.
sounds delicious I love both cake and brownies but together oh my that would be delicious