Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake w/Hazelnut Whipped Cream Frosting
Decadent Chocolate brownie style cake with whipped cream frosting that has a hint of chocolate and hazelnut in it. The whipped cream frosting is the perfect addition to this cake.
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.
Notes
I did not use hazelnuts due to not having any on hand, but would highly recommend them and I will use them next time I make this cake.
I also will likely try a hazelnut cake soak next time, just to amplify that hazelnut flavor
The cake should be stored in the fridge after assembled due to the whipped cream frosting. You can also do a stabilized whipped cream frosting instead, if you don't have access to refrigeration for the cake.