The ultimate Hazelnut Cake! All-natural hazelnut flavor in the cake layers and frosting. A simple and delicious combination.
I bought WAY too many hazelnuts. Like, so many.
In hindsight, I don’t know what I was thinking. Especially since I already had not one, but TWO bags of hazelnut flour because I forgot I already had one and bought another.
I had tossed around a couple of ideas of how I might decorate this Hazelnut Cake, but I’m pretty sure none would have required a 2+lb bag of $30 hazelnuts.
I don’t even like hazelnuts!
True story. But I do love nut-based cakes like my Almond Amaretto Cake and my Baklava Cake that uses walnuts in the cake layers. The nuts add delicious flavor and texture to cakes so making a Hazelnut Cake was a no-brainer.
How to Make this Hazelnut Cake
I used store-bought hazelnut flour for the cake layers. It’s like almond flour, but hazelnut. It’s not super cost-effective, I’m not going to lie.
You can easily make your own hazelnut flour by pulverizing some toasted, skinned hazelnuts in a food processor until you get a fine powder. You can sift out any larger chunks then measure the amount you need. I am lazy though so I just bought the flour.
Cake Tip!
Be sure not to over-process the nuts as it will eventually turn into hazelnut butter (like peanut butter).
To make this cake I simply replaced some of the regular all-purpose flour in my standard Vanilla Cake recipe with hazelnut flour.
The cakes smelled heavenly!
Hazelnut German Buttercream
I used my German Buttercream as a frosting for this cake, but you could use any buttercream you like and just add hazelnut flour to it.
To me, the German buttercream seemed like a perfect fit. It’s light, fluffy, not too sweet, and just delicious. I have a detailed tutorial on How to Make German Buttercream, so be sure to check that out if you try it. It’s not difficult at all, just a bit time intensive.
I kept adding hazelnut flour to the buttercream until I was satisfied with the flavor. You can add more or less if you like. I love the flecks throughout the frosting.
I added a schmear of Nutella on top of each cake layer as I was assembling the cake because why not?? This is optional but adds a yummy chocolate hazelnut flavor.
Decorating Tips
The initial reason I bought so many hazelnuts was because I thought I would decorate the cake somehow with candied hazelnuts. Like I did with this Nutella Hazelnut Cake.
That cake is one of my very first recipes and could probably use a refresh, but it is a much-loved recipe. Candied hazelnuts are a stunning way to garnish any dessert and they are surprisingly easy to make!
Check out my Candied Hazelnut tutorial for details.
Thing is, they don’t last long. As with any sugar-based garnish, they will start to melt. The more humidity, the faster the sugar melts/gets sticky. It has been super hot and humid here so I just figured that was a recipe for disaster all around.
If you do decide to make them. I recommend making them shortly before serving the cake and definitely do not put them in the fridge.
I decided to decorate the cake with one of my favorite cake combs. I used the left side of the right cake comb from this set.
You’ll want a rather thick layer of frosting around the outside of the cake if you’re going to be using a cake comb and it might take a few passes (and some patching) to get it perfect, but it’s really a very simple way to add a stunning impact to your cakes.
I topped it off with some simple buttercream dollops using a 6B piping tip and topped each one of those with alternating skinned and unskinned hazelnuts.
I think it makes for a pretty effect. Finished it off with some chopped hazelnuts pressed along the bottom.
This Hazelnut cake has a wonderful hazelnut flavor throughout. The texture of the cake and buttercream are perfect together. If you’re a hazelnut fan or have one in your life, you need to try this cake!
Looking for more nut-based cakes?
- Almond Amaretto Cake
- Raffaello Cake (Coconut Almond Cake)
- Bakewell Cake (Raspberry Almond Cake)
- Pear & Walnut Cake
- Pecan Pie Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I convert this recipe?
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe. Baking time may need to be adjusted.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
- For other conversions go here. Bake time may vary depending on pan size.
- Baking time will vary if you change the pan size. Every oven is different so I can’t say for certain what you’ll need to adjust it to. Be sure to check on the cakes while they are baking.
Can I make it in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
- The finished cake (whole or sliced, stored airtight) can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I get the measurements by weight/grams?
- There is a Metric option in the recipe card. If you click it it will convert everything to grams.
- This conversion is done automatically and I cannot guarantee the accuracy but many readers have had success using the metric option on my recipes.
Tips for Making this Hazelnut Cake
- Be sure to check my Pastry Cream and German Buttercream tutorials for tips and troubleshooting.
- If you prefer, you can use a Swiss Meringue Buttercream, an Ermine Frosting, or an American Buttercream instead, and add hazelnut flour to those.
- I prepare my cake pans using Homemade Cake Release and line with parchment paper.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cakes post!
Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
Hazelnut Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup hazelnut flour sifted
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Hazelnut German Buttercream:
- 2 cups milk divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup hazelnut flour sifted
- powdered sugar sifted, to taste
Assembly:
- 4 Tbsp Nutella optional
- whole and chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
Hazelnut Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (about 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for about 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Hazelnut German Buttercream:
- Place 1 1/2 cups milk and the vanilla into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
- Pass through a strainer and into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator for a couple hours to set. Bring to room temperature before using in buttercream.
- Ensure pastry cream and butter are at room temperature. Whisk pastry cream by hand until smooth.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter on high until pale and fluffy (3 mins). Add the room temperature custard 1 Tbsp at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add Hazelnut flour 1/4 cup at a time.
- Taste, add sifted powdered sugar if desired. Beat for 2-3mins until smooth and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 2 Tbsp Nutella on top of the cake layer. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother. Use a cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth.
- Press chopped hazelnuts around the bottom of the cake if desired.
dandelion says
i made this cake for my sweet sixteenth! the only notes i can really say is that this cake was a little bit dry/ tasted bland and like raw batter. however i really loved the texture of the cake and the buttercream! it had more flavor than the actual cake even though i halved the amount of butter in the frosting. my family really enjoyed it/ was very proud of me! thank you for the recipe:)
Olivia says
Hi Dandelion! I’m so happy you loved it and happy belated birthday! The cake should not have been dry or tasted that way. Is it possible you used too much flour? If you dip your scoop into your flour sometimes you get more than you need. It’s best to spoon the flour into your measuring up and level it off. Dryness can also be due to overbaking. Baking times are just a guideline as every oven bakes differently 🙂
Wendy says
Hi! Was wondering how many cupcakes this recipe will make?
Olivia says
Hi Wendy! It should make 18-24 depending on size.
Claudi says
Cake had good flavor, but was dense. German buttercream was too much work for the little flavor it had … and 2 cups of butter? Too much.
Olivia says
Hi Claudi! Sorry to hear you didn’t love this one. My cakes tend to be more on the dense side rather than light and fluffy, but it shouldn’t be too dense and should rise almost to the top of the cake pans. Overly dense cakes can be from overmixing the cake batter once the flour is added (it develops too much gluten) or not using room temperature ingredients so the cake batter doesn’t emulsify properly.
Lisa says
Delicious cake recipe! Made this cake for my husband’s birthday. He loves hazelnut, so this fit the bill perfectly. The buttercream was delicious and we liked that it was not too sweet. We used 2-8″ pans, which made a shorter cake, and we left out the chopped nuts at the bottom, but did decorate with whole ones. We also ended up using a layer of Nutella around the top and sides of each layer as a crumb layer before frosting the cake with the buttercream.
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! I am so thrilled you both loved this one. Thanks for your tips!
Susie says
This cake is phenomenal!!! It got rave reviews from everyone in my family, including my don’t-like-sweets husband and mother-in-law. I divided the buttercream, adding melted Ghirardelli dark chocolate to the majority of it, and frosted the outside with this. For between the layers I used the vanilla German buttercream as written, but added a thin layer of homemade hazelnut praline for a crunch. The cake is so moist and tender without being oily (like some oil-based cakes can be) – the hazelnut flour must be the magic ingredient!
Olivia says
Hi Susie! Thanks for the wonderful feedback 🙂 Thanks for all your tips!
Marguerite McCallion says
I have a request from a friend for 30 cupcakes. With this cake recipe what size should I size it up to generate 3 dozen cupcakes?
Olivia says
Hi Marguerite! The recipe as is should make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size. I would 1.5x the recipe for 30 or 2x it to be safe and have some extras. Actually, 1.5x gives some odd numbers. I would change the Servings to 20 and use those amounts.
Valerie says
Have yet to put the cake together, but I made the layers last night and the custard this morning! I could not, for the life of me, find hazelnuts anywhere (yay Iowa), so I had to substitute slivered almonds that I ground in the food processor, plus hazelnut extract and 2 oz of hazelnut liquor, 2 oz of cream, and 4 oz of coffee in exchange for the 1 cup of milk. I also did just 1 cup of sugar instead of 1.5 cups, because the liquor would add a bit of sugar as well, and most cake recipes that follow the creaming method will use a 1:2 ratio of butter:sugar by volume. The sweetness level turned out perfect, and the cake didn’t brown too quickly.
For the custard, I substituted heavy cream, cold coffee, and hazelnut liquor again for the milk. Did not add any nuts though, because I wanted something really smooth and creamy. I saved the egg whites, because I’d like to attempt an Italian meringue frosting once the whole thing is put together, and then torch it (bc fire is fun!) We’ll see how it goes!
Josie Gorman says
Hey, your cake looks delicious but I was hoping to go a bit more nutty in the sponge. Do you think I could up the ground hazelnut and reduce the flour by the same amount? If so by how much.
Thank you
Josie 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Josie! I tried it with more hazelnut and the extra fat caused the cake to sink in the middle. I found these proportions yielded best results for me.
Wendy says
How long would this cake keep. Thinking of using for a wedding cake
Olivia says
Hi Wendy! The cake and frosting can both be made in advance (see below). Or the whole finished cake can be frozen. Otherwise it will be good for 2-3 days in the fridge, any longer and it will start to dry out.
For the Cake: Cool the layers, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
For the Buttercream: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week for freeze for 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
Sunita says
Hello, I’d love to try this recipe! But I only hav 9in baking pans.
What do you recommend doing differently in this case?
Thank you in advance!! 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Sunita! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
How many 9″ pans are you wanting to use?
Christine says
I have 2 9in. X 1 1\2 that I was planning to use
Angeli says
Hi! just wonder y my cake shrunk. Is it because I overmix, used non stick tin or cause I’m using cake flour? Please help me to troubleshoot. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Angeli! Overmixing will definitely cause the cake to shrink once it comes out of the oven.
Chelle says
Made this cake into cupcakes for our Christmas dessert to absolute rave reviews. The cake is delightful and subtle with a silky rich buttercream. I incorporated the nutella into a bit of the frosting as a surprise filling, topped each cake with a Ferrero Rocher and I’m pretty sure it’s the only cake my MIL will ever want from me in the future. This will also be my go-to buttercream, the extra step of making a custard is absolutely worth it. Thank you!!
Olivia says
Hi Chelle! So happy you loved it!! The buttercream is my fave too, so delicious. Thanks for the feedback!
Chris says
Hi Olivia!
I recently made this cake for my grandmother’s birthday and our family quite enjoyed it! I had some whole hazelnuts in my pantry, so I toasted them and ended up using a mortar and pestle to crush them as much as I could. I used 3/8 cup in the cake mix, and subbed almond flour for the rest. I also used it for the buttercream and it tasted pretty good. I only made half of the buttercream recipe (no powdered sugar cuz it was sweet enough), which I found was the perfect amount for a crumb coat and then a 1/2 ~ 3/4 cm layer of flat frosting on the sides + top. Is there a way to make the buttercream taste less buttery though?
Anyways, I noticed the cake layers were almost baked too long after just 30 minutes, luckily I checked (phew)! Not sure if it was because I used two 8″ pans as the suggested alternative, or if it was because your recipes assume we a are using cake strips (which I did not have nor use as I don’t bother trimming the slightly domed layers). I didn’t realize the latter until I came back and checked out your tip: How to Bake Flat Cake Layers. Maybe you could include a bake time for 8″ pans (if it is different) or add a note in the bake time indicating that cake strips are assumed. The cake layers ate fairly dense so I was wondering if that was intended, or if they were meant to turn out a bit fluffier/softer.
Overall, it tasted good, with even more hazelnut flavour coming out after it sat in the fridge (assembled) for up to a week. I think I would make this cake again with some modifications to the buttercream and the cake 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Chris! So glad everyone liked this one! Baking times are only ever a guideline and can vary greatly due to a number of factors. Every oven is different and some run hot/cold. I do use baking strips which will increase the baking time and in 8″ pans the layers will be slightly thinner so they won’t need quite as much time in the oven.
The buttercream will taste less buttery if you add more sugar. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to have a non-sweet and non-buttery frosting unless you use something simple as whipped cream or just a meringue.
My cake layers were actually more on the delicate side vs dense, so I wonder if that was due to some of the modifications. Overly dense cakes can also be from overmixing the cake batter once the flour is added — it develops too much gluten.
I hope that helps!
Thomas says
Hi Olivia
Can you make the custard the night before and then bring to room temp before making buttercream, will it keep overnight or mess up the consistency
Olivia says
Hi Thomas! You can definitely make it the night before. Be sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap directly on top. As long as it’s room temperature it will be fine.
Thomas says
So can I put it in the fridge overnight then bring back to room temp
Thomas says
Or can it stay on the side in the kitchen
Olivia says
I would keep it in the fridge for sure. It’s quite perishable.
Sara says
Olivia, thank you for this excellent recipe. I made it for my mom’s birthday last week. To suit her tastes, I substituted apricot jam for the Nutella and thinned-out jam for the simple syrup as well. My parents said it reminded them of the cakes they ate growing up in Czechoslovakia. Delicious!
I was only wondering, do you think cake flour would stand up to this recipe? I thought I might try it out. Thanks.
Olivia says
Hi Sara! I am so happy you all loved it! I love the addition of apricot jam, I’ll have to try that! I think cake flour should work fine. Let me know if you try it!
Annalisa says
Hi Olivia, I love all your recipes!! I am so excited to try this in cupcake form! I was just wondering, if you were to add powdered sugar to taste, how much would you add at a time to make sure it doesn’t get too sweet too fast?
Olivia says
Hi Annalisa! I would add 1/4 cup at a time or so 🙂
Pavithra says
The cake looks stunning! Can’t wait to try it. Can I reduce the amount of butter in the frosting? If so, by how much? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Pavithra! You can try reducing the butter a bit (by 1/2 cup), but it will make the frosting softer and harder to work with.
Catherine says
In the buttercream recipe, 1 tsp vanilla is listed for the custard and again below hazelnut flour. I don’t see the second 1 tsp referenced in the recipe. Should it go after the hazelnut flour is added in step 8?
Olivia says
Hi Catherine! Oops, the second vanilla was a mistake. I’ve removed it. You can totally add more vanilla if you like! I would add it just before the hazelnut flour.
Catherine says
For 3 layers, how many eggs are required? 4 or 5? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Catherine! For three 8″ layers I would use 4 whole eggs and either one white or one yolk.
Deborah says
I always have issues with spreading Nutella evenly and not breaking the cake. Do you have any tips to prepare the Nutella prior to spreading?
Olivia says
Hi Deborah! My Nutella is usually quite soft so I don’t have an issue. You could try warming it up a bit to thin it out and make it easier to spread 🙂
Rachelle D. says
Hi there! I would love to try this recipe for my brother-in-laws birthday cake. Do you think this will do well as a top forward cake with fondant?
Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Rachelle! I haven’t made one of those cakes myself so I can’t say for sure. The cake is dense but a little more fragile due to the nut flour.