Allow me to introduce my absolute new favorite cake.
Chocolaty
Hazelnutty
Vegan
Gluten-Free
1 Bowl
The obsession is real.
This recipe was inspired by my Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes, and my love for Nutella. I mean who doesn’t love Nutella? Even Rhonda loves Nutella. Get on board people.
While there isn’t any Nutella actually in the cake, it has all of the essential components: Creaminess, chocolaty-ness, and loads of roasted hazelnuts!
And to keep things simple, it all comes together in 1 BOWL. Anyone can make this cake. No special mixers, methods, or equipment necessary.
This cake gets extra height from a solid layer of roasted hazelnuts + more on top! They also provide a healthy crunch to the cake, which I happen to adore.
I think you guys are going to LOVE this cake! It’s:
Super moist
Rich
Mega chocolaty
Loaded with hazelnuts
Seriously decadent
Not too sweet
& Simple to make
I think this is a great “everyday” cake with its simple preparation and universally loved flavor profile. However, I could also see it making an excellent cake for birthdays, anniversaries and any upcoming spring celebrations (like Easter!). In other words, make this cake and instantly make a million friends.
If you give this recipe a try, please rate it and leave a comment! Also, be sure to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can be cake twins. We love seeing our recipes come to life in your kitchens. Cheers and happy baking!
1-Bowl Chocolate Hazelnut Cake (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CAKE
- 4 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 10 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 scant cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
- 2/3 cup cane or granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce (or other hearty fruit puree, such as beets)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (if clumpy, sift)
- 1 cup almond meal (finely ground from raw almonds)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground from raw oats)
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
FROSTING / TOPPINGS
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 1/4 cups dairy-free dark or semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or softened vegan butter (cut into slices // such as Earth Balance)
- 1 1/4 – 2 cups powdered sugar (ensure vegan-friendliness)
- 1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and butter two 8″ round cake pans (or line 24 muffin tins with paper liners // as original recipe is written // adjust number/size of pans if altering batch size). Dust with gluten free flour and shake out excess.
- Measure out almond milk and add vinegar. Stir and let curdle while moving onto the next step.
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add baking soda to the almond milk vinegar mixture and stir.
- Add the sugar, maple syrup and almond milk mixture to the flax egg and beat/whisk to combine. Then add applesauce, vanilla, melted coconut oil, salt and mix.
- Add cocoa powder, almond meal, oat flour and gluten free flour and beat/whisk to combine. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk, but it should be perfect. It should resemble a semi-thick batter that’s pourable.
- Divide batter evenly between cake pans (if using muffin tins, it should be enough for roughly 24 filling generously 3/4 full // amount as original recipe is written).
- Bake cake for 35-45 minutes or more (cupcakes for about 29-35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top appears dry. Time will vary if you sub ingredients, as well as depending on the size of your pan.
- Let rest in the tin for 15-20 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife along the edges and invert onto cooling racks. Let cool completely.
- FOR FROSTING: Add almond milk to your rinsed out mixing bowl from earlier and microwave for 1 minute. (Alternatively, heat in a saucepan until just simmering and then transfer back to mixing bowl.)
- Immediately add chocolate to warm milk but don’t touch for 3 minutes so it can melt.
- Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then add coconut oil or softened butter and cover. Let rest untouched for another 10 minutes.
- Use your mixer (or a whisk) to beat the mixture together. Then add 1 cup powdered sugar, mix again, and place in fridge to set for 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you tip it and it’s slow to move.
- Remove from fridge and beat again. If it’s still too thin, add another 1/4 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and beat until light and fluffy. I found that adding 1 3/4 cups total powdered sugar (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) was perfect. Set aside.
- Transfer the bottom layer of the cooled cake to a serving plate/dish. Spread a semi-generous layer of frosting on the top of the bottom layer and top generously with hazelnuts. Press down with hands to settle them into the frosting (see photo).
- Carefully top with second layer and frost the top generously, then the sides. Using a butter knife yields a smooth surface. It should be the perfect amount of frosting – not too thick, not too thin.
- Add hazelnuts around the perimeter of the top of the cake. Slice and serve.
- Will keep well-covered at room temperature for several days, though best when fresh. Refrigeration not necessary.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Pietr Young says
Dear Dana,
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! The Thanksgiving crowd loved it. Even the skeptical non-vegans in the group were delighted with the taste.
I made the cake twice–the first time as a practice before serving it at Thanksgiving. I did make a few changes the second time around: I found the center layer of whole hazelnuts made cutting the cake very awkward, so in the second cake I used ground hazelnuts mixed with the icing. Easy to slice and delicious.
Something else I noticed was that the gram weights given do not match the conventional measurements. For example, 120 grams coverts to something like 1/2 cup, rather than a full cup. Using the 120 g quantity of cocoa powder the first time around led to a very moist (wet) result. GourmetSleuth.com has a reliable conversion calculator. I haven’t checked any of the other amounts. Perhaps it would be helpful to do so.
The bottom line, however, is that this cake is delicious! Thanks again for the recipe, Dana
Margarita says
Hello! I absolutely loved the idea of huselnuts in a cake! I’m going to make it for cristmas this year( I hope they all like it!) but I have a few questions though. Do I need to use a mixer or will I have to blend all the ingredients together with a whisk? Also I’ve seen that you’d put 2 cakes in the bottom with chocolate between them then chocolate huselnuts cake chocolate cake chocolate and huselnuts for decoration. Which means 4 cakes , how will i do that? Will I need to divide the 2 cakes( after or before they’ve cooled down) or will I have to make two bowls of cake ( double the ingredients for the cake) and bake 4 cakes?
A whisk should work! I actually made a smaller cake first to test these, which is why there’s four layers. So just ignore that. Otherwise you can use this 3-layer chocolate cake recipe as a guide!
Rachel says
I love your recipes but can’t seem to get rid of the really inappropriate scantily clad women in a Victoria’s Secret ad flashing over my screen everytime I come here. Any advice on how I can not have this on my screen. It definitely deters me from visiting your site. Thanks.
Winnie says
Hi, Dana, Can I use soy bean milk instead of almond milk? And for gluten free flour blend, it will be big different taste from bob’s red mill one? Thank u in advance~
Val says
The cake is delicious! But evertime I make the icing it’s runny? I wish I knew why, because your pictures look yummy!
Mimi says
Would it be okay to use actual chicken’s eggs instead of flax eggs? I don’t have any flax seed, but have my own happy chickens and get plenty of eggs from them!
Yes! I generally recommend 1 small chicken egg per flax egg.
Tania B says
I made this cake on the weekend and it was amazing. Delicious and most and it even rose! I added some coffee to it too to enhance the chocolate. It turned out amazing by normal cake standards let alone gluten free and vegan!
I used a peanut butter vegan mousse/icing in between layers and a chocolate fudge icing to top it off.
Thanks so much for the recipe I’m definitely adding it to my repertoire.
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing your experience, Tania!
NICOLE says
Out of some ingredient so I substituted:
– pumpkin for applesauce
-ground walnuts for almond meal
-cocount milk for almond milk
…turned out delicious. best egg free gf cake recipe i’ve tried to date.
thankyou!
Mel says
This was my first baked vegan dessert and subd some ingredients i didn’t have. Ended up with an interesting texture but added more apple sauce, almond milk, maple syrup to get it to the consistency you described.. I popped it in the oven and hoped for the best. After an hour of fiddling and adjusting temperatures I was relieved to get a cooked cake. And it was delicious! The chocolate frosting is probably the best I’ve had and will definitely be making in future! Thanks :)
Claire Partridge says
Hiya,
What is the depth of the cake tins you use?
Thanks,
Claire
I believe 2 inches.
Ella says
Hi Dana, I’ve come across many of your cake recipes and the icings for the cakes require powdered sugar/ icing sugar. I usually like to go for the healthy options like coconut sugar so I was having a look at recipes for powdered coconut sugar and I came across a few, http://thecoconutmama.com/how-to-make-powdered-sugar/
http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2011/11/how-to-make-powdered-coconut-sugar.html?m=1
These recipes in the links above claim that you can use it in replace of powdered/ icing sugar for any recipe that requires it. I was wanted to bake some of your delicious looking cakes and substituting the powdered sugar for the powdered coconut sugar recipes above for a healthier option, would these work out for your recipes?
Thanks, Ella x
Jess says
So I have never made a layer cake before, let alone from scratch, let along gf/v!!! Let me say it all worked out absolutely perfectly. I ended up sprinkling some salt on the nits between the layers and on top. Yum! Thank you!
Adrienn says
Finally had all the ingredients to make the cake. Can’t wait for it to cool and put the frosting on
Thank you for the recipe. Love your website:)
So kind! Hope you loved it, Adrienn!
Janie says
I made this cake for my birthday party and it was a hit! Hope you can involve more recipes without almond flour because it was a little pricey to make, still amazing though! Much love from Miami.
I’ll keep that in mind! Thanks for sharing, Janie.
Sue Holtz says
I have made this amazing cake twice in the last month for birthdays. I took one frozen to California and iced it there for a party. I made the icing the night before and took it in my checked bag – let it come to room temp. and iced as normal – makes a beautiful cake!! People came back for seconds and liked it better than a bakery vegan cake that I also flew with!!!
It was SO good I made it at home again for another birthday. I have baked a lot in my life and this cake is as “normal” and a good as cake as you can make. Not one person even suspected it was VEGAN and GF! I used you DYI flour mix, I love that recipe, too.
I did used chopped hazel nuts for in between the layers, though it cut better and was more subtle. Congratulations to a GREAT cake that I will bake again and again. It also carries very well on a plane!!
Nathan says
Hi ! Thanks for this recipe :)
I’m not sure, if I make these as muffins in paper liners, do I have to cut each of them in half to pur frosting and hazelnuts, or do I have to put 2 of them, one on another (‘Cause, you know, muffin tins are not really upright, and that would be giant…)
Lara says
This cake Sounds great! Do you have any idea what I can use instead of Apple sauce? Because I Must follow a low foodmap diet due to my IBS? :-/
Amber H. says
I made this cake for the first time a couple of days ago. It was amazing and delicious. I made it to take to a garden party. I actually didn’t separate the layers with whole hazelnuts. But I did use them around the top and alternated it with raspberries. Also, I ended up using a different frosting recipe. I used the chocolate avocado frosting.
It was a hit! Only once slice was left at the end of the party and I brought it home to my husband to enjoy. Thanks again for another fabulously delicious recipe.
sara says
made it! i used coconut sugar instead of regular and for the frosting just used almond milk and chocolate and a bit of coconut oil (last minute found out i had no powdered sugar) BUT IT TURNED OUT SO GOOD THE FROSTING WAS CREAMY AND THE WHOLE THING WAS JUST AMAZING. YOU ROCK
Amanda says
Made this lovely cake for my husbands birthday and it turned out great! The combo of the flours leaves it perfectly moist and just so yummy! I decided to whip the icing after chilling instead of adding additional sugar, this worked wonderful and kept the sweetness down.
I think you made an error with the flax eggs tho? I used 4 tsp flax instead of tbsp.
will be saving this recipe for future special occasions! Thank you!
Alexa says
Could you use ground hazelnuts in place of almond meal to impart more hazelnut flavor?
Joannie says
This cake is amazing ! :) I make it for one of my gluten-free friend (and myself…. vegan). Everybody just love it. The hazelnuts and the chocolate frosting are just perfect together !! Your are amazing.
Thank’s so much for charing this delicious cocoa paradise !!! :)
Une perfection dans le palet !!!
Joannie
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Joannie!! xo
Scarlett says
Hi, I can’t find any gluten free oat flour or oats for that matter in my area, what would be a good substitute? This cake looks amazing I can’t wait to make it!
I always recommend subbing a mix of almond meal and gluten free flour blend!
nicole says
I’ve been saving this recipe for a special occasion and I finally have an excuse to make it for my best friends birthday! Can it be made a day in advance and still be fine the next day? Looks DIVINE
Wendy says
Oh Dana this cake looks delish!! Thanks again for another amazing recipe. I was going ok until I did the frosting and mine looks like chocolate soup hahaha. I tried beating it to make it ‘light n fluffy’ but no go. Maybe its to do with the ingredients that I used?
I will make another type of frosting for now until I know where I went wrong.
Keep up the great work!
Did you chill the frosting? It can be kind of runny until it firms up…
Wendy says
Me and the fam loved this cake and it didn’t last long although, there are a lot of ingredients in it. It will be my ‘special’ cake that I make now and then. Its taking me some time to get use to this ‘gluten, dairy and egg free’ baking! Thanks again for this delicious recipe Dana!
Of course! Glad you enjoyed it, Wendy!
Kaytee says
I absolutely love your recipes and so far have loved almost everything of yours I have made. I have just a general question: we have to eat gluten free at my house (2 Celiacs over here) but we are not vegan. As a general rule, whenever you call for flax eggs, vegan butter or say, almond milk, can I just use regular eggs, butter or milk? Just wanted a little clarification since I’m starting to cook from this blog a lot. :)
Kara says
This cake was fantastic. Absolutely amazing. I made it for my husband’s birthday, and even his parents (non-vegan) and my mom (non-vegan and possibly the world’s best baker) loved it and couldn’t tell it didn’t have eggs and dairy. I’d highly recommend this recipe and will definitely be making it again.
marielle says
would i be able to use anything as a replacement for apple sauce?
Extra oil or another fruit puree?
marielle says
how much do you think?
Cathy says
I made this Cake for Mother’s Day and it was delicious! I think it tasted more like brownies and was very indulgent! My mother thanks you for the recipe. :)
Alyssa Boyle says
Can’t wait to try this! I think I’m going to go hazelnut all the way and use hazelnut milk and flour. All hail the hazelnut!
Nice! Let me know how it goes, Alyssa!!
Kate says
hey Dana- would it work to sub coconut butter for the vegan butter or coconut oil in the frosting?
I’d think so, but I’m not sure! Let me know if you give it a try.
melissa says
Hi,
Can you still use normal egg’s instead of the flax eggs?
Thanks :)
Yes! I say 1 small egg for every flax egg.
alice says
hi there! recently made this cake twice, once with non-gf flour and one with! sadly the gluten free blend i used seemed to suck a lot of the moisture out of the cake, and it was really quite dry. was just wondering if the brand of flour you used in particular, the bob’s red mill one, is worth buying? also just to ask because it suggests you add xanthan gum to the flour, would you recommend doing that? thank you!
It’s worth buying in my opinion. It’s super finely milled and is the closest 1:1 swap I’ve found for gluten free baking! Also, I never add xanthan gum. But you can if you want!
Nathalie says
Hey love, i hope you receive this before i’m old, becaus i really wanna make this cake. I’ve just got 1 question. Do you think this recipe will work if i sub the almond meal with oat flour?
Dina says
Hi,
This cake looks great!
I’m looking for a birthday cake recipe for a vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free birthday boy…
Is it possible at all to replace the sugar in this recipe with agave\dates\stevia?
Thanks!
Dina.
Sophie says
Another question! I only have one 8 inch pan and was wondering if it would be okay to just bake it in one pan and slice it in half after? If so, what temperature should I bake it and how long? Thanks! Can’t wait to make this!
I don’t think it will bake all the way through if you use one 8-inch. Might I recommend a 9×13?
Sophie says
Can we use cacao powder instead of cocoa? Does it make a difference?
Nope! That should work!
Lisa says
This recipe looks incredible but I can’t make it as listed due to my son’s multiple food allergies. Is there a substitute for almond meal?
Joanna says
Wow this looks incredible!! My dad is lactose intolerant and can’t have dairy so you don’t know how happy I am that you have this site – now I can make things he can eat! I was wondering though, since I wouldn’t need to make it gluten free, could I just use all purpose flour in place of the almond meal/ flours and if so how much regular flour would I use? Or is this recipe better without substituting? Thanks!
Penny says
I just made this cake and it’s one of the best GF cakes I’ve made. I’m not gluten free but love finding nut flour recipes. My icing didn’t firm up the way it should have but I had to perform some mental math involving some leftover squares of a giant dark choc bar so the mistake was most likely mine. I also think the baking time would’ve been best on the longer end as mine was a little gooey (still delicious) in the center. Thanks for a fab recipe!
Beth says
I made it! Delicious!!! So easy & moist! My substitutions were all whole wheat pastry flour instead of the mixture of flours. The whole family loved it! Thank you for sharing.
Ingredient1 says
Chocolate + Hazelnuts are just the perfect pair, aren’t they? We like the interesting ingredients you use for the cake such as apple cider vinegar, flax seed meal and oat flour! – This looks delicious!
Genevieve says
Made this cake for Easter and it. was. amazing!!!! For the cake I followed everything exactly except for adding the hazelnuts (I love them but my sisters can’t eat them) and I used cashew milk instead of almond. I had to bake it for almost an hour and it was still a bit gooey in the middle. I probably could have baked it longer but I didn’t want to burn it. But, I really didn’t care as it was just that much fudgier. :) Seriously good. Also, I must have much shallower 8 inch pans than you have as it was way too much for the two 8″ pans that I have. So, I made an extra little 6″ layer (which may be why it look so much longer to bake) to eat the night before (had to have a taste test right?).
I made a double recipe of the frosting because we really like lots of frosting. This is some of the best vegan frosting I’ve ever had. So good! Again, used cashew milk, used soy-free Earth Balance and used Rice Dream dairy-free chocolate chips. Added a bit more powdered sugar to make it a little more like buttercream instead of ganache.
This is a delicious cake and I can see us making it again and again in the future!
Great, thanks for sharing!
Alannah says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! You are truly talented and creative. I loved the video for the drinking chocolate – so funny.
Jennifer says
Hi,
Can I use a regular cake pan instead of round pans?
Love your recipes!
I think so! Just google different cooking times for different baking dishes as I’m not sure how that will change!
stef says
This looks amazing, I have developed a new love for Nutella so can’t wait to try this one soon!!!
I have only just recently stumbled upon your blog and I love it! You have amazing recipe’s and photos! I look forward to trying some and seeing what you post next! I have recently started my own blog and your blogger resources are so helpful as I am so not good at technical computer stuff!
Thanks for being awesome!
Jasmine says
This recipe turned out great! I didn’t need it to be gluten free so i used AP flour instead of the GF blend, but kept the almond meal and oat flour. For the frosting i had to use canola oil since its all i had but it was still good. i just wish it didn’t harden/get crusty so quickly, but i guess thats just how frosting is?
All in all, amazing vegan cake. I was very impressed. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hmm, not sure! It may be that you added too much powdered sugar? Glad you still enjoyed it!
Anon says
I think this person is using some of your photos…
http://instagram.com/theayareina
Thanks!
Raewyn says
The almost 2 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting seems a large amount – for someone wanting to avoid so much sugar what might one substitute? or is powdered sugar the best to use?
You can cut that back as desired. Just make sure to chill it a little longer until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Miruna says
Hi Dana. Can i sub the flax egg with chia egg? 1 tbsp chia+2,5 tbsp water?
Hi Miruna! That should work!
Sheri Moise says
Made this as cupcakes this weekend for my birthday. SOOOOOO yummy! Reminded me of Hostess Cupcakes but even more moist and delicious. Topped with dairy free butter cream frosting and everyone (GF or not, vegan or not) LOVED them. Thanks for the great recipe!
Mandie | Mandie's Kitchen says
This cake is stunning, Dana! It looks super moist, fudge-y, intensely chocolate, and just SO good! And it’s GF & vegan too! I think I’ve pinned this recipe 4-5 times today!
Cassie says
Looks absolutely delicious!
Gen says
I made this yesterday for Easter and it turned out great! I did make a few modifications: subbed all purpose flour for the gluten free blend (same measurement), used Special Dark cocoa powder, used only about 1/8 cup of maple syrup instead of the full amount called for, and lastly, I coarsely chopped the hazelbuts instead of keeping them whole. I also forgot to add the vanilla, which I would definitely be sure to add next time. I did have to cook it a full 40 mins. Overall, it turned out to be a nice dark chocolate not too sweet cake. I was really surprised with the texture and how well it holds together even when sliced super thinly. I often end up with cakes that ‘deflate’ as they cool when I cook vegan, but there was absolutely none of that with this one. No one would ever suspect there are no eggs in it!
Gen says
Oh, also, I used Ener-G egg replacer for 4 eggs because I didn’t have any flax seed on hand.
Sarah says
I made this cake today, and am going to assemble it for easter dinner tomorrow however i have a couple questions. I baked my cakes for 10 minutes longer than the recipe called and although the toothpick came out clean the cake is still super moist in the centre. I cut into the middle with a knife and the cake is pretty WET. Being that there is no egg in the cake I know that is not a concern but would you still serve it this way? Im just not sure how “moist” the cake should be and because its chocolate its such fine line between cooked and overcooked I was scared to burn it. Please help
Hi Sarah! Sorry to just get back to you! The cake shouldn’t be “wet” in the middle. The time I suggested should be enough to get it baked all the way through, but I’ve added another 5 minutes as well as a note about subbing any ingredients and the size of your pan. Did you use 8″ cake pans? Did you change anything? Just wanted to make sure nothing was different.
Sarah says
Hi Dana,
I’m honestly not sure what happened as I followed the recipe exactly, using 8inch cake pans. I ended up returning the cakes to the oven for at least 20 additional minutes. In the end the cake was delicious and I would definitely bake it again, just keeping in mind it takes more time in my oven.
Ellen says
Looks delish!!!! I’m not vegan, can I use4 eggs instead of the flax eggs and regular milk?
Should work! Check back if you try it :D
Yes, I think 4 small eggs and regular milk should work!
Gluten Free Babe says
Ellen, did you try this cake with eggs? I am looking to make a great chocolate gluten free cake made with eggs. Please let us know!
Amanda says
Thank you for measuring the ingredients! I’m from Germany and I’ve recommended your Blog to a friend in the Netherlands and also in England (both are GF & I’m Vegan). Here you won’t really find cups and tablespoons so it takes a lot of the work out of it whenever we want to make one of your recipes.
I’m also a massive fan of the NI at the bottom of the recipes. I use it for Cron-o-meter. You’ve saved me many a headache! Danke! Thanks for all your hard work!
Alanna says
HUBBA!
Judit + Corina @Glamorous Bite says
What a glorious hazelnut cake, Dana! Love roasted hazelnuts, and with the creamy dark chocolate frosting sounds very decadent :)
Cheers,
J+C
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
That cake is sooooo beautiful!!!! It looks better than the ones that you buy in stores!!!
The Vegan 8 says
Wow, this is really beautiful Dana!! I want to just dive right into that cake head first!!! I love chocolate and hazelnuts. Gorgeous.
Gaby says
Love this cake! So rich and delicious!!!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Well this is just crazy pretty! Love all the hazelnuts and the decorating is too cute :)
Lauren says
Holy heavens this looks unbelievable. For sure I would have to invite folks over because I can tell I would keep going back for more.
Anna says
I really wanted to do a cake for easter!! I might try this one :D
Thankfifi says
Looks yummy! Do you think I could sub the almond milk for coconut milk?
Thankfifi.x
I think you could! I would recommend coconut milk beverage, or slightly watering down light coconut milk. Report back if you do!
Sarah // The Sugar Hit says
This cake is hardcore gorgeous. I can’t stop looking at it! Love your work lady Dana!
Love YOUR work! Congrats on everything going on in your world! Cookbook, Saveur noms – get it girl!
Kaitlin says
This looks gorgeous and equally delicuous!! I loved Nutella too until I read about what’s in it:( however I found a delicious Nutella copy cat called Nocciolata that is organic and I’ve never been happier! You have to try it. It’s just as good without the junk from Nutella though still sugary as a treat should be. I recently made banana stuffed muffins with it!
Smart lady! Never heard of that alternative, but I’ll have to check it out!!
Julie J says
Awesome recipe! Just found out my husband needs to be gluten free, egg free, soy free, peanut & almond free, and dairy free. How could I adapt this recipe without using almond milk or almond meal?
Thanks!
Kaitlin says
What about a rice flour and maybe coconut milk? Just a thought! :) I bake gluten free and brown rice flour is a staple for me as well as coconut milk. Good luck to you on this new journey.
Julie, I would recommend rice or coconut milk beverage. Or even flax milk! As for the almond meal, I would recommend subbing additional (equal parts) GF oat flour and gluten free flour blend! Report back if you give it a try!
Sommer @ASpicyPerspective says
So decadent, this beautiful chocolate cake is calling my name! Love all the hazelnuts!
Dee says
That is heaven in a cake!! I think I’d only let myself have a slice because 444 is enough calories, thank you very much!
ha, definitely an indulgence! but so worth it in my opinion. And a lot of it is from heart healthy fats!
Millie | Add A Little says
This looks so fudgy and moist and delicious! Also, the combo of hazelnuts and chocolate is THE BEST!
Mason says
I am near certain this cake is what dreams are made of. Wow.
Abby says
This cake makes me SO HAPPY, Dana! 1 Bowl?! Chocolate hazelnut?!
Perfection.
And your photos are stunning. I can’t wait to pin them all!
xoxo
SO kind! Thanks Abby!!
Matea says
This cake looks so rich and amazing! Chocolate, hazelnuts, and guilt-free: some of my favorite things! Can I just pretend you made this cake specially for me? ;)
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com} says
I used to love Nutella! Sadly, I tried making my own vegan Nutella in my vitamix before and it was an epic chunky fail lol. This cake looks amazing with the crunchy roasted hazelnuts, yummmm
So sad! I think I’m going to give it a try soon so I’ll let you know if I have success!
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com} says
Yeah I used the recipe from the Vitamix website but I probably did something wrong! You’ll do awesome I’m sure and if you ever post a recipe I will definitely give it another go!
Mabelle @ Ma Bella Vita says
Can you just mail me a slice or the entire cake?! how delicious does this look?!
Heather Mason @Nutty Nutrition says
When I make a cake from scratch it seems like there are at least 50 bowls to wash. Does anyone else have that problem? hahah
Can’t wait to try this and hopefully the one bowl method will help cut back on the dishes!!
Tara says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it:) I am also wondering if it is OK to use a non-gluten free flour. Has anyone tried this so I am not wasting ingredients? Would love to make this for Easter!
PS… I really hope you come out with a cookbook soon!
Hi Tara! See my above responses!
We are coming out with a cookbook! This fall. Be stoked! See the above comments for non gluten free recommendations. Best!
Annabelle says
Hi, I’m new here (and being vegan) and I must say: *Thank You* not only for the fantastic recipes, but also for mentionning the measures in GRAMS! I’ve been having a hard time converting… No cups and no time or where to find those US things here. So again, one big *Thank You* from Paris/France! (ps. you made my day with this last recipe, I’ll be trying it this week-end for sure)
Of course! Thanks for following along! It’s a newer thing I’ve been doing and I’ve never weighed food before, so bare with me and if anything looks suspect don’t hesitate to point it out! I’m definitely still learning but am so glad it’s helpful for you and other international readers!
Lola says
This cake looks delicious! I am pinning this recipe so I can give it a try soon. I usually make cookies, brownies or muffins as when I make cakes something always goes wrong, but this one sounds doable and that frosting looks so yummy.
Ale says
Wow, just wow. Your pics, your food…. speechless.
Thanks Ale!!
Lydia @ Suitcase Foodist says
I am glad that I am not alone in my current obsession of hazelnuts
Give me ALL the hazelnuts. More hazelnut recipes coming soon, too!
Kathryn says
Absolutely gorgeous!
CakePants says
Wow that cake looks insanely fudge-y and delicious! And that frosting…I’m already obsessed, no joke!
Raisa says
I’m allergic to almonds any suggestions to substitute for almond meal here?
Another nut meal, such as walnut would be great. Otherwise, use equal parts extra oats + gluten free flour!
Sab says
What can we use as a substitute for the almond milk?
another milk?
Natalina says
can I substitute the almond flour with anything else? I’m so gonna make this for Easter! :)
Another nut meal, such as walnut would be great. Otherwise, use equal parts extra oats + gluten free flour!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous, Dana! Extra hazelnuts on my slice, please!
Leah says
Nutella with EXTRA hazelnuts? Dreams really do come true. Looks incredible!
Sara Falaha says
Hi Dana! THIS LOOKS SO GOOD IM GOING TO CRY. Suppose I were to make applesauce at home just for this recipe (yes that’s how much i want to eat it + more)…how many apples do you think I’d need to use
mm, 1 large or 2 small? Let me know how it goes!
Shanna says
Love this presentation and recipe! If I wanted to, could I use gluten-ful flour? :)
Yes I do, though I haven’t tried it myself. I would keep the almond meal and oat flour the same, if possible. And sub in unbleached all purpose for the gluten free blend. Good luck!
Jessica says
This looks amazing. I’m not gluten free so if I wanted to make it with regular flour do you think the measurements would stay the same?
Yes I do, though I haven’t tried it myself. I would keep the almond meal and oat flour the same, if possible.
Janie says
If I were to use regular flour, should it be all purpose or cake flour? Love the recipe!
I would recommend all purpose.
Lili says
Is flax meal a fine substitute for almond meal? And do instant oats work for the oat flour? I wanna make this with some things I already have! This cake looks like a beauty
Not really. Flax and almonds definitely react different in baking. I think instant oats would work if you grind them into flour. Good luck!
Therese says
wow this cake looks truly amazing:) there is something about chocolate and hazelnuts that goes so well together :)
S Lauren | Modern Granola says
Yum! This looks incredibly delicious! I like the pink background too, it’s really fun!
Thanks Lauren! I couldn’t resist. It’s so springy!
Brigitte says
MMM! Can’t wait to try this. I love the idea of using whole hazelnuts between layers for a surprise of texture.
Emma says
Woww! So cool!
Vyv says
That looks fantastic! And perfect timing for me – I need a luscious birthday cake for a group of non vegans, convince them we don’t live on twigs and leaves! ;)
Er, I think there might be a small error in the frosting though? I’m not sure if you want 1/4 cup (65 grams or so) or 5/4 cups (334 g) of butter?
Fixed! Good catch :D
Cristina says
That looks amazing! Who doesn’t love Nutella, I ask you? It’s my obsession. I will eat an entire jar of it if given a spoon and an opportunity. This might be a better option!
Irene says
Holy moly! That looks delicious- especially that layer of hazel nuts!! xoxo
sophie // the cake hunter says
You beauty! I have definitely been known to (more than twice) buy a jar of nutella and eat the whole thing. The intention is always to bake with it but I get carried away with the spoon. This seems like a better way to eat chocolate and hazelnuts without the empty jar staring back at me.
I did that one time in college! Never again will I buy a jar of that stuff. So tempting! Hope you love this Nutella-inspired recipe!
Taylor @ The Girls on Bloor says
Such beautiful plating as usual! I always think of adding hazelnut to so many desserts but never as an entire cake. Love this!
The hazelnuts MAKE this cake! Hope you love it, Taylor!
Kath says
I have made this cake for birthdays and many special occasions – it always comes out perfectly, looks beautiful, tastes amazing, and is loved by everyone (vegan, non-vegan, gluten-free… I mean everybody!). I’ve also made cupcakes – perfection! Sometimes I do not add the 1/2 cup of melted vegan butter to the cake and you would never know it! I highly recommend this cake!