Full disclosure, chocolate birthday cake with Nutella buttercream frosting is much more complex than I typically post here, but it turned out so cool looking I wanted to share it on my site.
Everyone in my family has their “own” birthday cake except my youngest, Drew. He requested a chocolate birthday cake years ago and every year I try a new one and it just doesn’t hit the mark. This year I certainly came close for his 16th birthday with a delicious chocolate birthday cake with Nutella buttercream frosting. You’ll be seeing two more birthday cakes in the next month as our three boys’ birthdays are within one month of each other (and 7 years).
I actually made a Nutella chocolate cake from scratch, chocolate ganache and Nutella buttercream frosting. Waaaaaaay too much work! I recommend buying a cake mix, either white or chocolate, and making the chocolate ganache and Nutella buttercream frosting, they will be the showstopper.
How To Make Nutella Buttercream Frosting
Use either room temperature butter or cut unsalted butter into small cubes, about 1/4″ to 1/2″. Personally, I like cubing the butter because you get a better consistency.
Using a stand mixer, add cubed butter and Nutella. Beat with paddle attachment until well combined.
Add sifted powdered sugar about a cup or so at a time at low speed until incorporated. Keep it low or you’ll be wearing white powdered sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, turn up the mixer speed to medium high and beat for about 3-5 minutes or until the ingredients are perfectly incorporated and you have a smooth frosting.
How To Prep Birthday Cake Pans
Even if you have nonstick pans, I think you’ll get a better result by greasing them. I take a small bit of butter on a paper towel and rub the butter on the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Then lightly flour (if a white or yellow cake) or add cocoa powder (if chocolate cake). Then add a parchment paper circle on the bottom of the pans.
How To Make A Multi Layered Birthday Cake
What made this birthday cake so special was that I used 4 layers! A multi-layered birthday cake looks like it came from the finest bakery. If you have a steady hand and keen eye you can just bake 2 regular cakes and cut them in half once they have cooled. It’s really important to wait for the birthday cake to cool completely or you will have a crumby mess on your hands. A warm cake is more likely to crack or break when you cut it. If you have room in your refrigerator, go ahead and chill the cake layers first before slicing in half or slicing off the dome.
I took the easier route and purchased 4 
Letting the birthday cake cool rule is the same for frosting. Patience my friends. Even though baking the cake doesn’t take long, you need to factor in time for cooling and chilling.
What To Do If Your Cake Domes
When the cake first comes out of the oven, place a lint free dish towel (obviously clean and dry) on top of the domed cake and gently press down, this will help level the cake somewhat. If the dome is significant then let the cake completely cool and then slice off the domed portion with a serrated knife. If the dome isn’t too bad and you haven’t sliced it off yet, then once the cake is stacked with frosting between the layers, you can add a little extra frosting with a table knife in the outside edge areas that have gaps due to the domed cake layer.
What Is A Crumb Coating When Making Birthday Cake
Have you ever tried frosting a cake and the crumbs get stuck in the frosting and makes the cake look messy? This is where the patience factor comes back in.
A crumb coating is just a thin layer of frosting before you put that beautiful finishing layer of frosting on. First spread the frosting between the layers of cake and stack the layers. Then if the layers aren’t perfectly flat, you may have to use a table knife to fill any gaps you see at the side of the cake.
Now you’re ready for the crumb coating. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the sides and top of the cake, you’ll probably get some crumbs in this layer. That’s OK. Cover the cake and chill for at least 15 minutes. Then add the final layer of frosting to the chilled birthday cake. Pure beauty!
Chocolate Ganache Topping For Birthday Cake
This chocolate ganache is super easy, fast and makes your cake really pop. You just chop the chocolate fairly fine, then melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave for 30 seconds and then 15 second increments after that. It will look like the chocolate isn’t melted fully, but trust me, take it out of the microwave and keep stirring until it looks smooth and glossy. Only add back to the microwave if you see unmelted chocolate after thoroughly stirring.
Wait until the birthday cake has been frosted and chilled before melting the ganache. You’ll also want to take a table knife and run it on a 45 degree angle around the top of the cake to ensure that when you add the ganache that it will drip down the sides of the cake. If you find that the frosting is keeping the chocolate from dripping just stop adding the ganache, smooth out the frosting around the top edge of the cake and then continue with the ganache.
Once you have the drips running down the side you can pour the remaining ganache on the top of the cake and smooth out with the back of a large spoon or an offset spatula.
The ganache will harden quickly, that’s why I was saying to have the cake frosted, chilled and ready to add the ganache.
How To Assemble The Multi Layered Birthday Cake
Once the cake layers are cooled, leveled and chilled, place the first cake layer on your serving platter. Spread with frosting, add next layer until all 4 layers have frosting in between.
Add your crumb coat to the sides of the cake and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Leave the top unfrosted for the chocolate ganache.
Add the final layer of frosting to the cake. I usually use a cake server or offset spatula to add the frosting and distribute evenly. Then I use a bench scraper to smooth the frosting into a clean, smooth look. Make sure that the top edges of the cake transition smoothly to the vertical sides so that the ganache will drip down the sides of the cake.
Melt the ganache and add to the edges of the cake so that it drips down. Once you have all of the sides with drips, add some ganache to the top of the cake and smooth out with the back of a large spoon or with an offset spatula.
Add Ferrer Roche candy, the perfect topper to Nutella because it’s a hazelnut chocolate candy.
This is the quintessential birthday cake and I was really proud of it when finished. I got the look and some tips from the site livforcake.com, incredible beauties but definitely time consuming. This cake is a breeze compared to her masterpieces.
Chocolate Birthday Cake With Nutella Buttercream Frosting
This is a showstopper of a cake! 4 layers of delicious chocolate topped with Nutella buttercream frostings, chocolate ganache and Ferrero Rocher candy.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 Box Cake Mix Chocolate, Yellow or White
- Ingredients called for on box Usually eggs and oil
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
- 3 Sticks Unsalted Butter 1 1/2 cups, cubed
- 1/2 Cup Nutella
- 3 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar Sifted
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 Ounces Semi-sweet chocolate bar, good quality use chips if necessary
- 2 Ounces Heavy whipping cream
Topping
- 4-12 Pieces Ferrero Rocher Candies
Instructions
Cake
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Follow cake mix directions on the box. Divide cake batter between 2 or 4 pans, the 4 pans will make this cake a showstopper. If you are making 4 layers instead of the standard two, then bake the cake for half the time. Butter or spray pan bottoms and sides, add a light dusting of cocoa powder, add parchment circle to the bottom of each pan. Check for doneness when a toothpick comes out clean. Let cake remain in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack or plate to cool, chill in the refrigerator if you have room.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
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Using a stand mixer, add cubed butter and Nutella. Beat together until well combined.
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Add sifted powdered sugar about a cup or so at a time at low speed until incorporated. Once all of the sugar has been added, turn up the mixer speed to medium high and beat for about 3-5 minutes or until the ingredients are perfectly incorporated and you have a smooth frosting.
Chocolate Ganache
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Don’t make the ganache until you are ready to use it on the finished cooled and chilled cake.
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Chop the chocolate bar well, the smaller the pieces the better. Add cream and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, microwave 15 seconds, stir again. It may not look like it’s completely melted, but once you stir for awhile the ganache should get smooth and glossy. If that doesn’t happen then continue to microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring in between.
Assembly
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Once the cake layers are cooled, leveled and chilled, place the first cake layer on your serving platter. Spread with frosting, add next layer until all 4 layers have frosting in between.
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Add your crumb coat to the top and sides of the cake and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. I like to add the frosting with an offset spatula or rubber spatula. Then smooth the frosting with a clean bench scraper or clean offset spatula.
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Add the final layer of frosting to the cake. Use a cake server or offset spatula to add the frosting and distribute evenly. Then use a clean bench scraper to smooth the frosting into a clean, smooth look using long strokes. Make sure that the top edges of the cake transition smoothly to the vertical sides so that the ganache will drip down the sides of the cake without getting stuck.
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Melt the ganache and add to the top edges of the cake with a small spoon so that it drips down. Once you have all of the sides with drips, add some ganache to the top of the cake and smooth out with the back of a large spoon or with an offset spatula.
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Add Ferrero Rocher candy, the perfect topper to Nutella because it’s a hazelnut chocolate candy.
What size are your cake pans?
I use (4) 8″ round cake pans. With one box of cake mix that will give you about 1″ layers. If you want a taller cake you can get two boxes of cake mix but only use about 75% of of the batter. Good luck and hope the special person getting the cake likes it. It tastes incredible!