Sweet Treats
If you love chocolate, this Nutella sponge cake is perfect for you. The soft vanilla sponge and nutella buttercream compliment each other and leave you feeling happy and warm after every bite. Perfect to throw together for any party, wow your guests with this chocolate dream.
Ingredients
Vanilla sponge
300g plain flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Pinch of salt
227g butter, softened
450g caster sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
4 eggs at room temperature
250ml milk
Buttercream icing
200g softened butter
250g icing sugar
Nutella, about 60g or so
Milk, to soften
Chocolate ganache
250g dark chocolate
250ml double cream
Method
A hand mixer or stand mixer would be best for this recipe, although you can take on the challenge of mixing it by hand if you see fit!
To make the vanilla sponge, first butter and line two 8 inch round cake pans. Preheat your oven to 160° Fan / 180° / Gas Mark 4.
In a clean bowl, combine your flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside for later. In another bowl, whisk together your butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy and well combined.
Add your four eggs to the mixture, one at a time, mixing between each addition. Start to add your dry ingredients in, little by little, alternating with the milk.
Spread the mixture into your two lined cake pans, and place in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out of your sponge clean.
To make the chocolate ganache for the centre of your cake, heat your cream over a hob. Do not boil, just hot enough to touch, but not burn. Break up your chocolate into squares and place into a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover with a plate or a bowl to trap the heat inside.
Set aside for two to three minutes to melt the chocolate in the cream.
Use a wooden spoon to mix the cream and chocolate well until a shiny chocolate ganache forms. Place this in the fridge if it is too liquid to spread and it will thicken up. You can also whisk using a mixer to thicken into a spreadable icing.
To make the Nutella buttercream, cream together your butter and icing sugar until a spreadable icing forms. Add Nutella, little by little until you reach desired taste and colour. If the icing is too stiff, add milk to make it more spreadable.
When the sponge is out of the oven and cooled, sandwich them together using the chocolate ganache.
Using a piping bag, pipe a twirly pattern on the top layer with your nutella buttercream. Decorate with chocolate buttons…and enjoy!
