Nutella and Kinder Cake... For Real.

I knew this cake was coming up.

I knew this would be ready for after Easter because I knew that like every year, there would be bits and pieces of Easter eggs everywhere in this house. And I would need something to do with them.

A buddy of mine was all, hey I need cake and I was like sure thing, I've got a cake for you. This is what she got. She didn't complain and mentioned that she was browsing for tombstones on Amazon. That's a good sign right?

It's pure, unfiltered death by chocolate. It's two layers of a moist chocolate cake, filled with a hazelnut buttercream, topped with a chocolate ganache, dressed in Kinder and Nutella.

It's everything a left over Easter Egg chocolate cake should be. And what's more important, is that it uses up all the left over chocolate in the house... which I have been informed is a very elusive ingredient.

Like left over wine... folks find it hard to come across these things!

Chocolate Cake

150g of good plain chocolate (Try the darkest you can handle, but I made this with the leftover bits of Easter Eggs I had and it was just fine!)
225g caster sugar
150g coco powder
300g self raising flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 large, free range eggs
60ml hot and strong coffee
225ml vegetable oil
175ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F or Gas Mark 4. 

Line two 8 inch round cake tins with parchment, or spray with some cake release spray.
Make the coffee, make yourself one and take out 60ml. Pour over the chocolate and allow to melt. When melted add the vanilla and the salt.
Beat the sugar and the eggs until light and fluffy. They will increase in size.
Dry whisk all your dry ingredients together. 

Slowly add them to the sugar/egg combination.
Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
Add the oil and mix until just combined.
Finally fold through the coffee/chocolate combination with a spatula.

This mix is thick but runny so you can pour it into the pans easy.. divide evenly and tap the bottom of the pan gently off the counter to get rid of any bubbles.

When you have the pans filled, bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. You'll know it's done when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Drink the coffee you made for yourself a few moments ago.

When the cakes are cooked, allow them to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire tray and allow to cool FULLY before assembling.

Hazelnut Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

225g soft, room temperature, unsalted butter

500g sifted icing sugar

at least 2 tbsp of nutella (or see below)

up to 60ml cream/whole milk***

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high until it is very soft and pale. (TIP: pop the butter in the microwave for a few seconds until very soft.)

Add in the icing sugar a few cups at a time.

Add the nutella.

*** YOU MAY NOT NEED THIS...BUT If the buttercream is very thick, add a tablespoon of cream or milk in until the desired texture has been reached. 

Mix it until light and fluffy. The faster and longer you mix this, the lighter and fluffier it will be. 

***Alternatively you could use some of the chocolate ganache below to make your chocolate buttercream... It just won't taste like nutella. You get me. It'll taste like chocolate.

Chocolate Ganache

250g semisweet dark chocolate 
250ml Double Cream

Put the chocolate into a heat resistant bowl.
Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the cream begins to simmer, quickly remove from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Swirl the bowl to ensure all the chocolate is coated in the hot cream.
Cover the bowl to trap the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and slowly whisk the mixture until you have a smooth glossy ganache.
Leave to cool before using as a glaze on the cake.

The fun part...

To finish it's really very simple... you just layer up the cake with the frosting, slap it on rough on the outside, smudge over the ganache and decorate with all the Kinder bits and bobs you like!

People will LOVE. YOU. FOR. IT.

But it's up to you here.. decorate how you like it! This is how mine turned out and I think it looks rather good. Biased and all that I am.

Let me know if you give it a go.. I'd only love to know how you got on. Plus I love to see others creativity and hard work..