Mocha Hazelnut Layer Cake

Today is the 1st of June. June is such a magical month, it should begin with something special. And as it turns out, June 1st is National Hazelnut Cake Day. How sweet is that?

Hazelnuts are used in confectionery to make praline, and also used in combination with chocolate for chocolate truffles and products such as Cadbury chocolate bars, Nutella and Frangelico liqueur. Hazelnut oil, pressed from hazelnuts, is strongly flavored and used as a cooking oil.

Hazelnuts are rich in protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, manganese, and numerous other essential nutrients, although I think putting it in candies or cakes or as a liqueur might not be the healthiest use of the nut.

Now I suppose we could go into the whole history of the nut; how a nut processing “plant” that is over 8.000 years old was found on an island off the coast of Scotland, or that Turkey is the world’s largest producer of hazelnuts. But this isn’t Hazelnut Day – it’s Hazelnut Cake Day. So let’s get to baking, shall we?

Mocha Hazelnut Layer Cake
Cake Batter
3 oz Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup Butter, softened
1-1/4 cups packed Brown Sugar
1 cup White Sugar
3 large Eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2-1/4 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Instant Espresso Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1-1/2 cups Milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of 2 greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment. Set pans aside.

Set up a double boiler pan, bring water in the bottom to a simmer. Chop chocolate; place in the top boiler and melt, stirring frequently to blend. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Sift flour into another bowl. Whisk in the espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the heated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely.

Finishing Touches
1/2 cup chopped Hazelnuts, toasted

To toast nuts, cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Let cool, then chop and set aside.

Frosting
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Nutella Hazelnut Spread
4 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 to 4 tablespoons Milk or as needed

Sift powdered sugar into a bowl; set aside. In another large bowl, beat the butter and Nutella until well blended. Gradually beat in the sifted sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla extract; then bean in enough milk to reach a spreadable consistency.

To frost; place 1 cake layer on a cake plate; spread top with 1 cup of frosting. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the toasted hazelnuts. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. If desired; pipe stars or swirls on top for a whimsical presentation. Sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts.