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Home » Recipes » Cakes

Ferrero Rocher Cake (VIDEO)

Published: Dec 3, 2021 · Modified: Dec 10, 2021 by Katalin Nagy · This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads. Please read our Disclosures.

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This Ferrero Rocher cake is the ultimate celebration cake with moist chocolate hazelnut sponges, silky Nutella mousseline cream (cooked chocolate pastry cream enriched with Nutella and butter), lots of crunchy hazelnuts, and crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates. My foolproof recipe perfectly delivers on the Ferrero Rocher candies you love; it is crazy chocolatey, with deep hazelnut notes, crunchy and silky at the same time, rich, but not overly sweet due to my signature frosting recipe! Hands down, the perfect Ferrero cake that will impress everyone!

The perfect Ferrero Rocher cake with my signature frosting recipe
Jump to:
  • How to make Ferrero Rocher cake that taste like Ferrero Rocher
  • Why this is the best recipe
  • Ingredient notes
  • 5 Expert tips
  • Equipment notes
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Other Cake recipe ideas for you to try
  • Join my Ferrero Rocher inspired Paris-Brest dessert Online Baking Class
  • The BEST Ferrero Rocher cake (VIDEO)

How to make Ferrero Rocher cake that taste like Ferrero Rocher

Ferrero Rocher candy or chocolate is a chocolate hazelnut-based confectionery product by an Italian Chocolate company called Ferrero. Ferrero Rocher was introduced in 1982 in Europe, nowadays roughly 3.6 billion Ferrero Rochers are sold each year in over 40 countries. Each Ferrero Rocher bonbon consists of a whole roasted hazelnut encased in a thin wafer shell filled with hazelnut cream and covered in milk chocolate and chopped hazelnut - in fact, I have a homemade Ferrero Rocher recipe too that beats the one from the stores!

Ferrero Rocher is made by the same company who produces Nutella so there is a reason why the filling of the Ferrero Rocher might remind you of Nutella!

To achieve the perfect Ferrero Rocher experience in a cake format our cake needs to meet the following criteria:

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  • Texturewise both Crunchiness & Silkiness in the filling
  • Flavorwise both Chocolate & Hazelnut notes (Nutella)
  • Visually decorated with Chopped roasted hazelnut
Homemade Ferrero Rocher
My homemade Ferrero Rocher candies

Practically for the Ferrero Rocher cake, it means that you will need to bake 3 chocolate sponge cakes. My signature chocolate sponge cake recipe is super moist and easy, you might already know it from my German chocolate cake, the slight difference is that for the Ferrero Rocher cake I replace some flour with hazelnut flour.

The cake filling and frosting are made using a super delicious silky cream called mousseline cream. Mousseline cream is effectively a cooked chocolate pastry cream that is enriched with butter, and this time with Nutella of course. Once you learn how to make the mousseline cream, you can use it for various other recipes and you might just never make Nutella buttercream ever again! It is less sweet than buttercream, with a more complex luxurious taste.

To provide the crunchiness in the texture I decided to simply crush Ferrero Rocher candy, however, Feuilletine wafer could be also used if it is available for you.

Moist chocolate sponges and Nutella mousseline cream frosting what makes this the ultimate Ferrero Rocher cake

Why this is the best recipe

  1. It is rather easy – As fancy as it looks, this is an easy Ferrero Rocher cake! The chocolate cake recipe can be made in one bowl, totally doable from scratch, no need to use cake mix. The filling, frosting and decoration is the same Nutella mousseline cream, no need to prepare 2-3 different kind of creams. The one part you need to pay attention to is layering the cake, but I will teach you in this recipe how to make it, keep reading
  2. It is super delicious – I never compromise on taste! This Ferrero Rocher cake is super luxurious, absolutely incomparable with buttercream cakes. Crazy moist chocolate sponges, silky chocolate hazelnut filling and crunchy Ferrero Rocher chocolate in the layers... Absolutely out of this world!
  3. No special equipment is needed – All you need is 3 round cake tins and a nozzle for piping the decoration. This Ferrero Rocher cake design actually can be made without too much hassle, or equipment, utilizing the same cream, roasted hazelnut, and a piping nozzle
  4. It is super festive – Do I need to explain how fancy and festive this cake is? It looks amazing if I may say so myself, and can be perfect for Christmas, New Year´s Eve, or any celebration! I would love to get a Ferrero Rocher Birthday cake for my next big day:)
Hands down this is the most delicious Ferrero Rocher cake recipe

Ingredient notes

For the Chocolate Hazelnut cake

  1. Egg: Use room temperature eggs, as always. Please do not underestimate this recommendation as cold eggs can´t properly emulsify with the rest of the ingredients
  2. Oil: This chocolate cake is an oil-based cake (no butter) that keeps the cake super moist. Butter-based cakes tend to harden a lot in the fridge, with oil we won’t have this issue. Use no flavor vegetable oil
  3. Milk: Whole milk at room temperature is what I recommend, again room temperature is key
  4. Coffee: If you are not using coffee in your chocolate desserts, you are missing out and I think you should seriously consider trying it. Believe me, the cake won’t taste like coffee at all however it enhances the taste of chocolate. I recommend brewing a strong espresso type of coffee and using it straight away fresh (on room temperature of course). It does not impact the taste whatsoever! If you don´t have coffee at home, use lukewarm water instead
  5. Sugar: Use a mix of brown and white sugar in this chocolate cake recipe. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article here
  6. Flour: All purpose flour or pastry flour makes the best cakes and would be the best to use in the Ferrero Rocher cake recipe. They are so called “soft flour” which are low on protein resulting in a delicate, tender texture. Make sure you sift flour before using in the recipe to avoid lumps.
  7. Hazelnut flour: About ½ cup hazelnut flour is added to the cake batter that will bring wonderful deep hazelnut notes to the chocolate cake. There are two options for hazelnut flour: you can either purchase it or use roasted hazelnut and blend it together with the flour. Make sure that you blend it with the flour together otherwise the hazelnut would become too oily on its own
  8. Baking powder and baking soda: We will add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda. They have two functions: increase the volume and lighten the texture, use both, they have slightly different function
  9. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Generally always use unsweetened, 100% cocoa powder in baking. I use a so called Dutch processed cocoa powder, it has a lovely dark color, and it is lower in acidity. Make sure to sift the cocoa powder to avoid lumps
  10. Salt: An essential ingredient in most dessert recipes. It balances flavor and enhances other ingredients, especially in chocolate cakes, it is an absolute must

Exact Ingredient quantities can be found in the RECIPE CARD, at the bottom of this page.

Ferrero rocher cake ingredients.

For the Nutella mousseline cream

  1. Milk: Use high-fat content milk, the highest you can get! It makes a huge difference when it comes to the deepness of the cream
  2. Sugar: Simple, white granulated sugar is perfectly fine
  3. Egg: Some recipes call for a whole egg, however, I strongly advise using egg yolk only for the best texture and flavor while making Pastry cream. Perhaps try my pavlova or macaron recipe if you want to use up your egg whites?
  4. Vanilla: The Ferrero Rocher cake frosting is a vanilla bean pastry cream based cream however the flavor will come from the Nutella and chocolate, so vanilla is not strictly necessary. If using, avoid using artificial vanilla. There are several great brands for fine, pure vanilla, I use Nielsen massey which I love and really recommend. I prefer vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract, but both can work here
  5. Flour: Flour is one of the thickening agents in this pastry cream recipe, use All-purpose flour. No, it won’t taste like flour!
  6. Starch: Corn starch is the other thickening agent in the recipe, theoretically you could only use flour, or only starch however I prefer 50%-50%
  7. Butter: Use unsalted butter room temperature, which is soft. Room temperature is key here. If too cold, it won’t incorporate into the cream properly. If too hot/liquid, it will make the pastry cream runny. We will use butter twice, first when making the pastry cream, then when making mousseline cream using the pastry cream
  8. Chocolate: We will turn the basic pastry cream into a chocolate pastry cream simply by adding chocolate into it. Use semi sweet good quality chocolate that has a pleasant taste
  9. Cocoa powder: Unsweetened, 100% Dutch processed cocoa powder as per above
  10. Nutella: Nutella is what makes this Ferrero Rocher cake super Ferrero Rocher taste like:)

Exact Ingredient quantities can be found in the RECIPE CARD, at the bottom of this page.

Ferrero rocher cake ingredients

5 Expert tips

1. How to make super moist chocolate cake

This is a super easy chocolate cake recipe, once you learn it you will be able to use it with any frosting of your choice. It is very moist with velvety crumbs and crazy delicious. The best thing about it is that it comes together in less than 5 minutes!

  • Prepare your baking pans: 3x 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan as per instructions later
  • The baking temperature will be 180 C / 356 F but preheat oven +20C / 68F as oven temp will drop when you open the door and place the baking tins in
  • Consider using a Digital oven thermometer to understand your real oven temp
  • Ingredients must be all measured with a Digital scale
  • Eggs, milk, coffee must be at room temperature
  • Beat the wet ingredients (oil, sugar, milk, coffee and eggs) with an Electric hand mixer for a minute or two until combined. Alternatively, this step can be made with a hand whisk too
  • Sift dry ingredients together (flour, hazelnut flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder) then pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
  • Dry ingredients must be folded in by hand (using Rubber spatula). Do not use a mixer at this point
  • Pour cake batter into the prepared baking pans (15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan), divide the batter equally into the 3 pans using a Digital scale
  • Do not open the oven door during baking. After 25-30 minutes check the middle of the cake with a toothpick. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Let the chocolate sponges cool completely on a cooling rack, then the best if chill them before filling. Please note that the sponges are very fragile while hot, do not break them

Should you come across any issues, please check my article about potential baking problems eg. sinking cake, and how to avoid it.

Baked chocolate sponges
3 layers of moist chocolate hazelnut sponges

2. How to avoid cake sticking to the pan

That is a whole topic on its own and the right preparation depends on the type of cake and/or pan however with this type of cake and cake pan I use the following; with the help of a pastry brush, brush the inside of the cake pan with a tiny bit of oil then use parchment paper on the bottom and side as well. The oil is only needed for the parchment to stick to the pan. What I love about this pan preparation is that with the help of the parchment paper it is incredibly easy to release the cake from the pan.

Might sound like a bit of extra work but you will certainly avoid disappointment.

Jiggly Japanese cheesecake
cake pan preparation to avoid cake sticking the pan

3. How to prepare the pastry cream for the mousseline cream

Pastry cream is the most delicious, silky custard-like cooked cream filling used in many types of dessert, like mousse cakes or filling cream puffs, etc. For the mousseline cream, you will have to make a pastry cream first, then wait until it sets, then whip it up with Nutella and butter.

I have a whole detailed Baking Guide with tons of tips about making the perfect pastry cream with detailed Troubleshooting etc. In short, prepare the following:

  • In a large enough bowl with the help of a Hand whisk, mix together sugar and egg yolk until slightly fluffy for about 1-2 minutes
  • Mix in corn starch, flour, and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated and have a smooth paste
  • Bring milk to boil in a saucepan on medium heat, then remove it as soon as it starts simmering. Make sure it is simmering but not crazy boiling as that can cook the eggs
  • Pour the warm milk over the egg yolk mixture slowly while whisking vigorously with a Hand whisk. This stage is effectively tempering the egg yolks, and the mixture should already start to slightly thicken
  • Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until it thickens. Concretely, it is approximately 1 min after the first boil. It might get lumpy first, but don’t worry, just keep whisking, and the cream will get smooth and glossy. It’s worth keeping a good quality (so that the milk won’t burn in it) small/medium-sized saucepan for making pastry cream only
  • If in doubt, strain the pastry cream for a lump-free, creamy result
  • Add in chocolate (finely chopped or in chocolate chips format), and mix with a Rubber spatula until completely incorporated. It is worth adding the chocolate in 3 stages and mixing well after each addition.
  • The Pastry cream needs to be completely set before using it to make the filling for the Ferrero Rocher cake. Place the cream into a shallow bowl or container and cover the entire surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin forming on top. Let it set either in the fridge or at room temperature

Please note that Pastry cream can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days, but cannot be frozen.

Chocolate pastry cream
Make the chocolate pastry cream: silky vanilla pastry cream enriched with chocolate

4. How to prepare the Nutella mousseline cream

What is Crème Mousseline

In a nutshell, Crème pâtissière (pastry cream) is the perfect base for other custard-like creams and can be taken to the next level such as:

Crème Diplomat: Crème Diplomat is a lighter version of the French Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière). Basically, it is Crème Pâtissière with added whipped cream and gelatin (optionally). Whipped cream makes it lighter and fluffier and the gelatin makes it more stable. Gelatin is not strongly needed, depending on the type of cake

Crème Mousseline: Crème Mousseline is classic Pastry Cream enriched with soft butter that makes the pastry cream extra rich and also more stable to pipe, kind of like buttercream, but way more delicious.

The famous French choux pastry ring Paris-Brest is made with mousseline cream, as well as my French strawberry cake: Fraisier cake! This time, we are making Nutella mousseline cream!

Paris-Brest
Paris-Brest also made using mousseline cream (hazelnut mousseline cream)

The process of making Nutella mousseline cream

This Ferrero cake will be filled and frosted with Nutella mousseline cream. The process of making mousseline cream is simple, however, you have to be careful with the temperature of the ingredients:

  • The chocolate pastry cream must be set, but not cold meaning either let it cool at room temp or cool it in the fridge, then let it come back to room temperature
  • The butter needs to be soft. Soft butter means soft enough without hard butter chunks for the mixer to cream it, but do not melt it in the microwave as melted butter can´t be creamed
  • If either pastry cream or butter is too cold or too warm, you won´t be able to whip up the mixture properly, as either butter will stay in chunks, or the entire mixture will break and curdle
  • So once pastry cream is set but not cold and butter is soft, move butter into your Stand mixer fitted with your whisk attachment and start creaming the butter for a few minutes until it becomes fluffy. Alternatively, the mixing process can be made with an Electric hand mixer too
  • Once butter is creamy and pale, add in cocoa powder and whip for another minute
  • Next, whip in Nutella until combined
  • Then, start adding the room temp pastry cream in 4 steps (adding always ¼ only) while the mixer is still on
  • Cream mixture until it reached a fluffy, pipeable consistency. This will take about 3 minutes
  • Make sure you do not over whip the cream at this point, as it can get runny. You should stop whipping the mixture effectively when it is fluffy and creamy before it would start curdling

If the cream is firm enough, start assembling the cake. If it is more on the soft side (that is normal due to the butter being soft), place it into the fridge for an hour. Due to the butter content mousseline cream gets firmer in the fridge over time and will be easier to frost the cake with it.

Chocolate pastry cream
fluffy and super delicious Nutella mousseline cream

5. How to assemble the Ferrero rocher cake

Once you have all elements of the cake ready, it is time to finally assemble our Ferrero Rocher cake! Make sure that 1. the chocolate sponges chilled 2. mousseline cream is stable to frost the cake (if more on the soft side, chill it)

Please note that you will need to use the cream for 1. filling 2. frosting 3. piping decoration so make sure you have enough cream left for each!

  1. Start layering the cake from bottom to top and fill each layer with the Nutella frosting. Pipe cream on top, another layer around the sponge then fill the middle with crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolate
  2. Continue with the second layer and apply the same
  3. Finally, finish with a 3rd layer of chocolate sponge cake
  4. At each layer please check how even the layers are, and make sure they are symmetrical with even layers
  5. Chill the cake either 1h in the fridge or 15min in the freezer before proceeding with frosting on the outside
  6. Once the cake is nicely chilled, frost the cake. You can pipe the cream around the cake first, then smooth it with an offset spatula. Try to work as neat as possible, but no need to worry if it is not perfect.
  7. Chill the cake again either 1h in the fridge or 15min in the freezer before proceeding with decoration
  8. Apply roasted chopped hazelnut all around and on the top of the cake and pipe some decoration on top using the same Nutella mousseline cream

TIP: During layering, frosting, and decoration the cake, make sure that the cake is nicely chilled at all times. If at any point cream or cake layers get warm, chill it in the fridge before proceeding to the next step

Ferrero rocher cake assembly
the crunchy element of this cake will come from crushed Ferrero Rocher candies
Ferrero rocher cake assembly
chill the cake in between layers
Ferrero rocher cake decoration
decorate with crushed hazelnut

Equipment notes

Considering how beautiful this FereroRocher cake is, you really won´t need too much equipment to make it.

First and foremost, make sure you measure the ingredients with the help of a Digital scale. Cup measurement is highly inaccurate and can cause all sorts of baking disappointments.

For mixing use an Electric hand mixer, while for folding every Baker needs a Rubber spatula.

For baking the sponges, you will need round cake pans, I suggest a 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan, while an Offset spatula is super handy to smooth the frosting.

For piping the decoration on the cake you will need a Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip. Finally, for any layered cake, a Cake turntable is super handy.

Ferrero rocher cake assembly
equipment to make the cake

Recipe FAQs

Can I make the cake in a smaller / bigger pan

Yes, you can, however, you will need to adjust the ingredient quantities and baking time accordingly. Having said that, the larger the cake the riskier that it won´t bake throughout, so you have to pay extra attention to the correct oven temperature and apply the toothpick check

Can I make this Ferrero Rocher cake recipe eggless, gluten-free, etc.

Most probably yes, you can, however, you can´t just leave out / change an ingredient without reformulating the entire recipe. When one ingredient changes, some other ingredients need to be changed too in order to keep the balance in the texture and flavor. Sadly, I am not able to provide substitutes for all sorts of allergies and diets.

Why is my cake dry

This is a super moist cake due to the oil and high ratio of wet ingredients, and very difficult to mess it up.
A few reasons can cause dry, crumbly texture on your cake 1. ingredients not measured correctly eg. too much flour added to the mixture 2. inappropriate mixing technique eg. over mixed cake batter 3. over baked, meaning it dried out too much. Consider investing into an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer to be able to measure the correct oven temperature and please make sure to use a Digital scale during baking, cups are not an accurate way of measuring for consistent results.

Why is my cake row in the middle

Probably the cake would have needed more baking time. Either, it was taken out of the oven too soon, or perhaps your oven is under heat. Consider investing into an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer if you tend to struggle with the baking part of your desserts.
Another issue that can cause raw texture is measuring the ingredients inappropriately eg. adding less flour to the recipe. Consider using a Digital scale 

Why is my frosting runny

You have to start with a pastry cream that is stable. Then, you will want to follow my tips about how to properly whip this kind of cream with butter and Nutella without the cream curdling. Just like making most other kinds of frosting, the temperature is key, and most important is that you do not overwhip the mixture. Make sure that you stop whipping as soon as the mixture is fluffy and pipeable, as a minute later it will break and become runny. If the cream is not runny but more on the soft side, chill it in the fridge for an hour

How to store

Once the cake is baked, let it completely cool before assembling. Any leftover cake can be stored in an air-tight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for 3-4 days. I suggest you cover the dessert so it does not absorb any smell from the fridge, or from the kitchen.

How to freeze

You can freeze the sponges after baking however I obviously do not recommend freezing the whole cake after assembling. Please note that pastry cream-based creams like this mousseline cream also cannot freeze

Ferrero rocher cake
must try Ferrero Rocher cake

Other Cake recipe ideas for you to try

Christmas tree cake - Learn step-by-step how to make this surprisingly easy, yet showstopper 3D Christmas tree cake! Besides how impressive it looks, this Christmas tree cake also tastes amazing with deep and natural chocolate and pistachio notes. Recipe in here

Pistachio Raspberry Yule log - This Yule log filling includes a delicious, slightly tangy raspberry coulis and the silkiest, creamiest pistachio whipped ganache, two flavors that perfectly balance each other without being overly sweet! A total showstopper Christmas cake that is completely doable for home bakers! Recipe in here

Chocolate Orange Bundt cake -  This easy yet festive cake features a melt in your mouth Orange Bundt is loaded with candied orange zest, topped with a super easy chocolate glaze, and decorated with homemade candied orange slices and lovely Christmas spices like cinnamon and star anise. Recipe in here

Tiramisu cakeroll - My Tiramisu cake roll recipe consists of a super fluffy Japanese-style sponge cake, that is easy to roll without breaking it. The sponge is drizzled with rich espresso, then rolled up with an airy, light whipped mascarpone cream filling. Epic! Recipe in here

Marble loaf cake- This wonderful moist Marble Loaf cake (Pound cake) is the perfect elegant yet easy teacake to serve for breakfast, or as a dessert! My "Better than Starbucks Marble cake" consists of fluffy and delicious swirl of Vanilla and Chocolate cake covered with a 3 ingredients crunchy chocolate hazelnut glaze! Recipe in here

Cardamom cake - This easy Cardamom cake with coffee glaze is an unforgettable flavor and texture combination, and can be a great addition to your holiday baking list. Definitely a must-make tea cake during Fall and Winter, but might just become your favorite Bundt cake all year round! Recipe in here

Christmas tree cake
Pistachio Raspberry Yule log
Chocolate Orange Bundt cake
Tiramisu cake roll
Marble loaf cake
Cardamom cake

Join my Ferrero Rocher inspired Paris-Brest dessert Online Baking Class

If you want to try the most delicious combination of my Ferrero Rocher cake and Paris-Brest dessert, you must sign up for my Online baking class where I will teach you how to make the most amazing Ferrero Rocher-inspired Paris-Brest dessert!

Ferrero Rocher Paris Brest
Ferrero rocher cake.

The BEST Ferrero Rocher cake (VIDEO)

This Ferrero Rocher cake is the ultimate celebration cake with moist chocolate hazelnut sponges, silky Nutella mousseline cream (cooked chocolate pastry cream enriched with Nutella and butter) that is very well balanced in sweetness, lots of crunchy hazelnuts, and crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
5 from 49 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Waiting time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 872kcal
Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

  • Digital scale
  • Digital oven thermometer
  • Rubber spatula
  • Electric hand mixer
  • Cooling rack
  • 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan
  • Offset spatula
  • Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip
  • Cake turntable

Ingredients

Chocolate Hazelnut Sponge for 3 x 15 cm ( 6 inches)

  • 120 g (1 cups) All purpose flour any low protein content flour eg. pastry flour can work too.
  • 50 g (½ cups) Hazelnut flour
  • 45 g (½ cups) Cocoa powder unsweetened, dutch processed
  • 120 g (⅔ cups) Granulated sugar
  • 120 g (⅔ cups) Brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 70 g (⅓ cups) Vegetable oil
  • 2 Eggs room temperature
  • 165 g (⅔ cups) Milk room temperature
  • 120 g (½ cups) Coffee freshly brewed strong coffee, room temperature

Nutella mousseline cream

  • 750 g (3 cups) Whole milk
  • 150 g (¾ cups) Granulated sugar
  • 120 g (½ cups) Egg yolk approx. 6 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste optional
  • 37 g (⅓ cups) Corn starch
  • 37 g (⅓ cups) Flour
  • 75 g (½ cups) Chocolate semi-sweet good quality chocolate finely chopped
  • 225 g (¾ cups) Nutella
  • 225 g (1 cups) Unsalted butter soft, room temperature
  • 25 g (⅓ cups) Cocoa powder unsweetened, dutch processed

Decoration

  • 100 g (1 cups) roasted chopped hazelnut
  • 16 piece Ferrero Rocher 5 as decoration and 11 crushed in between the cake layers

US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.

Instructions

Start with chocolate pastry cream

  • In a large enough bowl with the help of a Hand whisk, mix together sugar and egg yolk until slightly fluffy for about 1-2 minutes
  • Mix in corn starch and flour, and vanilla until throughly incorporated and have a smooth paste
  • Bring milk to boil in a saucepan on medium heat then remove it as soon as it starts simmering
  • Pour the warm milk over the egg yolk mixture slowly while whisking vigorously with a Hand whisk.
  • Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until it thickens. Concretely it is approximately 1 min after the first boil. It might get lumpy first, don't worry just keep whisking and the cream will get smooth and glossy. If in doubt, strain the pastry cream for a lump free, creamy end result
  • Add in chocolate in 3 stages, and mix with a Rubber spatula until completely incorporated. Place the cream into a shallow bowl and cover the entire surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin forming on top. Let it cool

Chocolate sponge

  • Heat oven to 180 C / 356°F
  • Prepare 3 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan with parchment paper
  • With an Electric hand mixer beat together the wet ingredients for 1-2 minutes: room temperature egg, oil, sugar, coffee and milk
  • Sift dry ingredients; flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt
  • Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients then fold just until combined
  • Divide batter equally into 3 cake pans with the help of a Digital scale
  • Bake for 25-30 min or until skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean
  • Cool the chocolate sponges on Cooling rack. Chill them in the fridge before assembling the cake

Preparing the Nutella mousseline cream

  • The Nutella mousseline cream can be made with room temperature pastry cream, Nutella, cocoa powder, and room temp soft butter. Make sure everything is room temp otherwise the mixture might curdle
  • Once pastry cream is set and at room temp, prepare the mousseline cream by whipping room temp butter first for a few minutes, then whip in the cocoa powder and Nutella for 1-2 minutes
  • Start adding in the room temperature pastry cream in 4 stages until cream reaches a stable yet fluffy texture. Do not over whip the mixture as it can become runny
  • Chill the cream if needed for an hour, otherwise proceed with assembling the cake

Assembling

  • You will need to use the cream for: 1. filling 2. frosting 3. piping decoration so make sure you have enough cream left for each
  • Start layering the cake from bottom to top and fill each layer with the Nutella frosting. Pipe cream on top, another layer around the sponge then fill the middle with crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolate
  • Continue with the second layer and apply the same. Finally, finish with a 3rd layer of chocolate sponge cake
  • At each layer please check how even the layers are, and make sure they are symmetrical with even layers. Chill the cake either 1h in the fridge or 15min in the freezer before proceeding with frosting on the outside
  • Once the cake is nicely chilled, frost the cake. You can pipe the cream around the cake first, then smooth it with an offset spatula. Try to work as neat as possible, but no need to worry if it is not perfect.
  • Chill the cake again either 1h in the fridge or 15min in the freezer before proceeding with decoration
  • Apply roasted chopped hazelnut all around and on the top of the cake and pipe some decoration on top using the same Nutella mousseline cream

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES:
  1. Measure your ingredients with a Digital scale for accuracy
  2. All ingredients for the chocolate cake must be at room temperature to properly emulsify: eggs, milk, coffee etc.
  3. Do not skip salt that will balance the sweetness of this cake
  4. You can either purchase the hazelnut flour or use roasted hazelnut and blend it together with the flour. Make sure that you blend it with the flour together otherwise the hazelnut would become too oily on its own
  5. For the Nutella mousseline cream, it is key to use good quality unsweetened dark cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate so that they don´t overpower the Nutella taste, but balancing it
TECHNIQUE NOTES:
  1. Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking. Consider this recipe more like an in-depth tutorial, literally the only recipe you will ever need to make delicious Ferrero Rocher cake
  2. Chill the chocolate sponges before making any layered cake
  3. Assemble the cake on the serving tray you are planning to serve as at later stage you won´t be able to move the cake
  4. Let the pastry cream be properly set before whipping it up into mousseline cream. While whipping, pay very close attention to the consistency and stop whipping immediately after it gets fluffy. Overbeating would result in breaking the cream and instead of becoming stiffer, in fact, it will get runnier
  5. Make sure you chill the cake in between applying the different layers and frostings just as stated in the recipe. That is a standard procedure for making any layered cake, and skipping it would result in best in class baking disasters
  6. If you have never used a piping bag and piping nozzle before, it is worth making a cheaper buttercream and practice before

Nutrition

Calories: 872kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 276mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @spatuladesserts or tag #spatuladesserts would love to see your creation on Instagram!
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  1. petra

    December 10, 2022 at 11:51 pm

    why 6 inches pans. why.

    Reply
    • Kata

      December 11, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      Bec a 6 inch cake is a perfect size cake and enough for a whole family of 4-6 people? 🙂 I have a cake pan conversion in my chocolate sponge cake recipe so you can make smaller or larger cakes as you wish.

      Reply
  2. Sherry

    November 30, 2022 at 4:26 am

    I really want to make this cake using 2 9 in cake pans but I don’t know from where to start. How do I adjust the measurements? Can you help me?

    Reply
    • Kata

      November 30, 2022 at 9:00 am

      At my chocolate sponge cake recipe (that is the base for this cake) you can find a converter chart.

      Reply
  3. Anna

    November 26, 2022 at 9:34 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely fantastic! This is really the best Ferrero Rocher cake with the most delicious frosting. I have never made custard based frosting before but certainly will make it again because it is simply the best and way more delicious than butter cream. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
  4. Marion

    October 11, 2022 at 9:04 am

    I have been requested for a 3kg cake - i am thinking of either a 12" pan to 14" square cake pan - how much of the recipe do you think I would need,

    also, if 16in square, how much do you think of the recipe would i need to make

    thanks

    Reply
    • Kata

      October 11, 2022 at 4:04 pm

      Hey, I have some ingredient calculators in this recipe:https://www.spatuladesserts.com/chocolate-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ but I never made this cake so large. You will have to significantly increase the recipe ingredient quantities and probably the baking time as well.

      Reply
      • Marion

        October 12, 2022 at 10:52 am

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply
  5. Christie

    September 09, 2022 at 2:20 am

    Can I replace the hazelnut flour with more all purpose flour ?

    Reply
    • Kata

      September 09, 2022 at 8:38 am

      You can roast whole hazelnuts and food process it with the flour together to get a mix of flour & hazelnut flour, or you can skip the hazelnut and use more flour.

      Reply
  6. Whitney

    July 14, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    5 stars
    Hello,
    I made a huge mistake with the pastry cream. I ended up adding the the cocoa, Nutella and chocolate into it only to realise, those ingredients were meant to be whipped up with the butter. Is there a fix to this or have I completely stuffed the recipe? 😭

    Reply
  7. Shweta

    May 01, 2022 at 12:22 am

    Hi,
    I am planning a 9 inch 3 layer cake. Will Doubling the recipe be enough?
    This cake looks amazing. I have made this flavor with Nutella buttercream several times but this filling looks out of the world. I am so excited to try this!

    Thanks,
    Shweta

    Reply
    • Kata

      May 01, 2022 at 9:10 am

      Hey, yes for a 9-inch cake you need to about double the 6inch ingredients. You will love this frosting, it is absolutely superior compared to buttercreams:) Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  8. Shilpa

    March 18, 2022 at 9:29 am

    Love the recipe and the cake! Want to make this for my sons birthday next week.

    Just one question: for the frosting, can I use hazelnut butter instead of store bought Nutella?

    Reply
    • Kata

      March 19, 2022 at 9:45 am

      When you substitute the Nutella, you have to think about whether the product you want to use has similar qualities eg. thickness, fat content, sugar content, etc., and adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly.

      Reply
  9. Arwa Badeeb

    February 20, 2022 at 11:40 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it! Even though I am not a huge fan of hazelnut, but this was soo good..
    Found a home made nutella recipe to substitute the store bought.. Turned out delish.
    What I love about your recipes is that they aren’t overpoweringly sweat!
    My dad was extremely happy with this one!

    Reply
    • Kata

      February 21, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      I am so happy for you! I truly believe in not overly sweet desserts and glad to hear that you enjoy it too!

      Reply
  10. Estefania

    January 29, 2022 at 10:13 pm

    5 stars
    Hard to find a recipe that results not only in a beautiful but a tasty cake. I found this cake had both: the frosting is not made with only butter and sugar but a French creme patissiere which make a luxurious taste to the cake. Easy to apply and perfectly explained with a lot of practicality tips. This was my first cake here but won’t be the last. Thanks for sharing. I loved cooking this cake and learned a lot!

    Reply
    • Kata

      January 30, 2022 at 11:21 am

      I am so happy for your success and that you appreciate this out-of-this-world delicious frosting I made!!:) Hope you will try some of my other recipes soon

      Reply
  11. Abrar

    January 22, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    AMAZING!!!! Must try this recipe!!! The cake is sooooo moist .. full with flavors 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋 thank you for sharing with us such amazing cakes 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

    Reply
    • Kata

      January 22, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      I love this cake so much, and so happy that you experienced it:) Hope you will try some of my other recipes as well soon!

      Reply
  12. Mary

    January 16, 2022 at 4:21 am

    It says to mix in vanilla but it is not in the recipe. How much do you add? Maybe I am missing it somewhere🤷‍♀️

    Reply
    • Kata

      January 17, 2022 at 10:54 am

      Good point! The initial cream for the Ferrero Rocher cake frosting is a vanilla bean pastry cream. Now for this recipe, you can leave out vanilla as the flavor will come from the chocolate and Nutella. Or, you can add 2 teaspoons of good quality vanilla bean paste or essence while making the pastry cream. I will adjust the recipe accordingly, thanks for your feedback:)

      Reply
  13. Antonella Falanga

    January 05, 2022 at 7:58 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is absolutely perfect! The Nutella mousseline cream is gorgeous, so smooth and tasty. The sponge is the best sponge ever!!

    Reply
  14. Sarah Alsulaiman

    December 28, 2021 at 6:09 pm

    5 stars
    I made this cake and it was incredible!
    All my family wanted another piece 😋
    Thank you so much

    Reply

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