Moist Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
This Chocolate Hazelnut Ferrero Rocher Cake is full of rich hazelnut flavor in ever single layer. It’s everything you love about Ferrero Rocher packed into a rich and moist layered cake with toasted hazelnuts, silky chocolate ganache and it’s all draped in my glossy one-bowl chocolate sauce.
Hey team, Nick here. I’m a sucker for a rich and moist chocolate cake. On it’s own, it’s delicious. But when you pair it with Nutella and crunchy toasted hazelnuts, you’ve entered the realm of… emotionally magnificent.
This cake is made up of my chocolate fudge sponge, it’s stick to the plate moist, with layers of silky chocolate ganache, Nutella and hazelnuts. But my absolute favorite thing about it is the hazelnuts that are stuck to the frosted cake and then draped in my chocolate sauce which sets glossy and it’s made in one bowl!
By the way, this recipe was originally a 6 layered cake, I’ve re-photographed it and edited the recipe to also include how to make a smaller 4 layered cake in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Toasting your hazelnuts at home
Hazelnuts play a huge role in the texture and flavor of this cake so I wanted to run you through how to prep them.
To toast the hazelnuts pop them into an oven for 20 minutes on 160C / 325F (fan off), 140C / 285F (fan on) for 20 minutes or until they turn golden brown and you can smell the toasty hazelnuts. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before rouighly chopping up. It’s a lot of hazelnuts, but they’ll be pretty evenly distributed through the cake.
If you can’t find pre-skinned ones, that’s ok. You can toast them in the oven with the skin on, and run them through a towel to shuffle them around in the closed towel which will rub them up against each other and remove the skin.
You want to make the ganache first
The chocolate ganache needs time to set so you can make it the day before or the morning of so that it’s ready to use. It’s actually a one bowl recipe so it’s easy to put together and you can make it in the microwaveor over a double boiler.
You want it at spreading consistency before you layer the cake, so if it sets too hard, just microwave it for 10 second bursts until it’s easy to spread but not melted.
Making the chocolate fudge cake
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- To a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract and melted butter.
- Add the wet to the dry and whisk until no dry ingredients are showing.
- Add the boiling water and mix until the mixture is well combined. It will be much thinner, but it helps make the cake really moist!
- If you’re making the 4-layer cake, split the batter between two 8-inch cake tins or three tins for the 6-layer cake. Bake and allow to cool down completely on a cooling rack before using.
Putting the cake together
- Trim the cakes in half. I used a cake leveler to do this but a large serrated knife will work if you get on eye level.
- To layer the cake, add the first layer of cake to your cake board or serving plate and spread ganache on top. Make sure you eyeball how much you’ll need so each layer has the right amount. I used an ice cream scoop to do this and it’ll depend on how many layers of cake you have. You’ll use half for the layers and the rest to cover the cake.
- Drizzle with Nutella or your choice of hazelnut spread. There are some great palm free oil options out that there that don’t utterly destroy the planet.
- Sprinkle some hazelnuts. A little is fine. You want to save the majority for covering the cake and then adding to the bottom rim of the cake as the final decoration.
- Continue layering the cake until all the layers are on.
- Cover the cake in ganache.
Tip – if the ganache has hardened up by the time you get to covering it, just soften it until you get to spreading consistency. You do not want to use stiff ganache, it will rip your sponge to shreds.
- Cover the sides and top with more hazelnuts. This is gonna give you that Ferrero Rocher look. Pop the cake in the fridge for about an hour. This’ll stop the cake from melting when the warm sauce goes on top.
- Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and drizzle the entire thing with the chocolate sauce. It’s ok if the sauce is warm, but not hot.
- Finish by adding chopped hazelnuts around the bottom rim and then some sliced Ferrero Rocher halves on top.
Tip – Unless you’re a billionaire, nobody has any business buying Ferrero Rocher’s full price. Buy them when you see them on sale. I only buy them if they’re half price.
A Quick Baking Guide
If you’re new to baking or just want to brush up on the basics, these guides are a great place to start!
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Moist Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
This homemade Ferrero Rocher Cake is a delightfully rich and moist chocolate and hazelnut cake, filled with chocolate and covered in a chocolate glaze.
Serves 16
Ingredients
4 Layer Chocolate Cake
- 265 g all-purpose flour, plain flour
- 375 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
- 65 g Dutch processed cocoa powder, see notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp bicarb soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 80 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 2 large eggs, 55g each
- 220 g milk, full fat, room temperature
- 80 g vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 85 g unsalted butter, melted
- 165 g boiling water
Decorations for 4 Layer Cake
- 1 batch chocolate ganache
- 1 batch chocolate sauce
- 220 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 185 g Nutella, hazelnut spread
- 20 Ferrero Rocher’s
6 Layer Chocolate Cake
- 400 g all-purpose flour, plain flour
- 560 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
- 100 g Dutch processed cocoa powder, see notes
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp bicarb soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 120 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 3 large eggs, 55g each
- 330 g milk, full fat, room temperature
- 120 g vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 130 g unsalted butter, melted
- 250 g boiling water
Decorations for 6 Layer Cake
- 1 batch chocolate ganache
- 1 batch chocolate sauce
- 280 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 275 g Nutella, hazelnut spread
- 20 Ferrero Rocher’s
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
Ganache
- You’ll need to make the ganache before you begin baking the cake to allow time for it to set. It’s important for it to set at room temperature, not in the fridge. The 4 layer cake will have thicker amounts of ganache, the 6 layer cake will have thinner amounts of ganache.
Chocolate Sauce
- You can make the chocolate sauce in advance and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. You’ll need to make sure the chocolate sauce is thin enough to cover the cake but make sure it’s not hot otherwise it will melt the ganache on the cake.
Cake (4 layer and 6 layer)
- Preheat a fan forced oven to 180C / 350F (200C / 395F for no fan). To make the 6 layer cake spray three 8-inch cake tins with oil spray and line the bottoms with baking paper. To make the 4 layer cake spray two 8-inch cake tins with oil spray and line the bottoms with baking paper.
- Combine dry ingredients – To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, caster sugar cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt and crushed hazelnuts. Use a whisk to combine.
- Whisk wet ingredients – To a separate bowl add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract and melted butter and whisk to combine.
- Combine wet with dry – Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until no dry ingredients are showing. The mixture will look lumpy.
- Add boiling water – Add the boiling water and slowly mix until smooth. Take care not to over mix.
- Bake – Divide the batter evenly amongst the three cake tins. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes once baked and turn over onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. It’ll be easier to work with if it’s completely chilled.
Layering And Frosting The Cake
- Trim the cakes – Once baked and cooled, use a serrate knife or cake leveler to trim each cake in half. If you’re making the 6 layer cake you’ll trim three cakes in half to give you six layers. If you’re making the 4 layer cake you’ll trim two cakes in half to give you four layers
- Layer the cake – Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or cake board. Add a scoop (5-6 tbsp) of ganache and spread evenly. This will only be a thin layer of ganache. Add too much and you end up with an over sweet and super tall cake. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of crushed hazelnuts and pipe some Nutella (not shown in the video). Add the next layer and press down firmly. Repeat this until all layers are on.
- Cover the cake with ganache – Spread a thin layer of ganache around the cake getting it as evenly straight around the edges and top as you can. This is easily achieved using a cake turn table and an offset spatula.
- Cover with hazelnuts – Add chopped hazelnuts around the sides (leave some to finish decorating the bottom of the cake). Place in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours. This will prevent the ganache from melting when you pour the warm chocolate sauce on top.
- Cover with Chocolate Sauce – Make sure the sauce is not hot when pouring on the cake otherwise it will melt the ganache on the cake. Slightly warm chocolate sauce will work best.
- To finish the cake – Place the chilled cake on top of a wire rack and pour the warm chocolate sauce on top until the entire cake is covered. Finish by placing the Ferrero Rocher’s (some sliced in half) on top and some more chopped hazelnuts around the bottom. Allow to set at room temperature. Slice and serve.
Notes
Dutch processed cocoa powder – is an unsweetened cocoa powder which has been treated with alkaline and potassium carbonate to neutralize the acidity that is naturally found in cocoa powder. It’s darker in color and strong in chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Sauce – To glaze this recipe, make a batch of my chocolate sauce recipe. The recipe can be found here.
Heavy cream – this is the type of cream you use for whipping.
Glucose Syrup – also known as corn syrup, this helps stop the sauce from splitting and gives it a nice sheen.
Ganache – I have a great One-Bowl Chocolate Ganache recipe that’s really easy to make! Once you’ve made it, you will need to let it set at room temperature. Ideally, you don’t want it to set in the fridge as this can cause it to split and stiffen too quickly. If it’s a warm day, place it in the fridge and stir every 15-20 minutes with a spatula to keep the ganache moving and prevent it from stiffening only around the edges of the bowl. The 4 layer cake and 6 layer cake use the same amount of ganache. The 4 layer cake will have a thicker layer of ganache in between each layer and the 6 layer cake will have thinner layers of ganache.
Decorating the cake – The easiest way to decorate this cake is to use a cake turn table and a large offset spatula. Those two tools make things easier but you can decorate this cake without it. You will also need a large tray with a cooling rack to let the excess chocolate sauce to drip off.
Butter – The butter used in the cake is melted. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly before using. You don’t want it to be hot, warm is ok.
How to skin hazelnuts – For this recipe you’ll need skinless hazelnuts. If you cannot find store bought skinless hazelnuts, you can skin them at home by placing them on a baking tray and baking them on 160C / 325F for 20 minutes. Once baked, take out of the oven, and pour into a clean tea towel. Bunch up the towel, encasing the hazelnuts inside and rub the heel of your hand on top. This will help the already loose and oily hazelnut skin to rub on the towel and against the other hazelnuts in the towel. Undo the towel and pick out the skinned hazelnuts. Continue this process until all the hazelnuts are skinned. Some hazelnut skins are stubborn and won’t come off. They’re ok to use.
Toasting the hazelnuts – To toast the hazelnuts, simply place them on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes on 160C / 325F or until golden in color. Keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. Alternatively, you can place them in a deep skillet and toast them on medium high heat until golden. Again, don’t take your eyes off them or they will burn!
Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on the 4 layer cake, not the 6 layer cake. The nutrition does not include the chocolate ganache or chocolate sauce.
Storage – This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Make ahead – you can make the ganache and cakes a couple days ahead of time. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic and store in the fridge. Cover the chocolate ganache with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time until smooth and thin enough to spread.
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales!
Nutrition
Calories : 382kcal
Carbonhydrates: 30g
Protein: 7g
Fat: 21g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
Monounsaturated Fat : 10g
Trans Fat : 0.2g
Cholesterol: 37mg
Sodium: 358mg
Potassium : 323mg
Fiber: 4g
Sugar : 12g
Vitamin A: 193IU
Vitamin C: 1mg
Calcium: 97mg
Iron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclosure
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27 comments
Fun fact: I ate all the Ferrero Rocher on top. I have no regrets lol.
I’m keen to make this cake for our friend’s birthday later this month. Can you please tell me the total amount of hazelnuts in the recipe? Lots of chopped hazelnuts, but I don’t know the equivalent amount to order of whole hazelnuts.
Thanks for your help. Nicky
(PS- I used the chocolate sauce idea to cover the neapolitan cake I made for my husband’s birthday . It turned out great.)
Hi Nicky! That sounds wonderful, and I’m sure your friend will love this cake! For the entire recipe, you’ll need about 300g of whole hazelnuts. This amount includes enough for toasting, chopping, and any extra for decoration. I hope that helps with your planning! And I’m so glad to hear that the chocolate sauce worked well for your Neapolitan cake—sounds delicious! Let me know how this cake turns out for you. N x
Hello ! I love your recipes, What if I wanted to make this on a smaller version ? Greetings from Mexico.
Hi Karins! I would reccomend halving the recipe and using 6-inch cake tins. Hope that helps and happy baking! N x
Hey! I was just wondering if my conventional oven will work? Thanks!
Should do! You will need to raise your temperature by about 20 degrees celcius for an oven with no fan.
Amazing recipe ! Thank you for sharing. Easy for me to follow.
Hi Zenaida! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you found the recipe easy to follow and enjoyed it! Happy baking! N x
I made this yesterday as my birthday cake – it was OUTSTANDING!! Thank you for an amazing recipe and great instructions!
The only thing that perplexed me was the amounts of hazelnuts and where to use the crushed hazelnuts. I ended up with a lot of extra hazelnuts.
Hi Nancy! So glad to hear you loved it. I’ve gone ahead and updated the recipe card to hopefully make it clearer where each portion is used in the recipe.
for the cake part of the recipe, can i use monk fruit sweetner? will this effect the bake?
Hi Brandy, unfortunately, I can’t say because I haven’t tested it with monk fruit sweetener.
This is a work of art for the mouth!! Beautifully decadent. Have you tried it as a glutenfree version? I find it so hard to get this caliber of dessert that’s glutenfree. Thanks so much. Appreciate the visual even if I can’t give my taste buds the full experience😋💖 My family will love this, for sure
Hi Janie! Thanks so much! No, I’ve never tried it as a gluten free cake, unfortunately I don’t have much experience with gluten free baking. But if you ever give it a go, jump back in the comments and let us all know! N x
Hi! Just wondering, do the hazelnuts stay crunchy in the cake? Thank you!
Hi Mae! Great question! Yes, the toasted hazelnuts do stay crunchy in the cake, adding a nice texture contrast to the moist chocolate layers and smooth ganache. They give each bite that satisfying crunch that pairs perfectly with the soft cake. Hope you enjoy making it! N x
I understand alot of people use food scales to bake..Sorry to say but I am not one of them. I have always used cups to bake for my whole life, even in restaurant that I have worked in. Would you be able to convert your recipes to cups n and tsp/to spoons?
Hi Michelle! I completely understand that using cups and spoons is familiar for many, especially if that’s how you’ve baked for years. I use grams because it’s simply the most accurate way to measure, ensuring consistent results every time. Unlike cup measurements, which vary between countries (e.g., 1 cup of flour in Australia is 150g, but in the US it’s 120g; 1 cup in Australia is 250ml, but 236ml in the US), grams are universal. This means when you use weight measurements, you get the exact results I did when creating the recipe. Using cups runs the risk of inconsistency, and I want to make sure you have the best experience possible. Thanks for your understanding! N x
Way too much ganache and chocolate sauce made for this cake. Probably could’ve done half and been fine. Flavor and presentation was awesome
Hi Lori! Thanks so much for the feedback. I go a little heavy on the ganache and sauce to make sure there’s enough for both the 4 and 6 layer versions, but totally get that it can feel like a lot. Glad to hear you still loved the flavour and look of the cake! N x
Hi Nick, I am wanting to make this cake for a friend for her birthday – she looooves Ferrero TRochers. As it takes a little while to make from start to finish – I was wondering if it is possible to make the cakes and freeze them and then put together/decorate closer to day? Have you tried this and any pros or cons you can give me would be appreciated. Cheers Eliza
Hi Eliza! Yep, you can definitely freeze the cakes. I haven’t tried it myself, but as long as they’re wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container, they should hold up fine. Just make sure to thaw them completely in the fridge overnight before assembling. This helps keep the texture intact and prevents condensation from messing with the ganache. Hope your friend loves it! N x
I. Really want2 make this cake , I am inCanada and need measurements i oz.and cups can you help me with that pls the hazelnut Ferrero rocher cake. Thank u
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for your message. I totally get that cups and ounces are more common in Canada, but I stick to grams because they’re the most accurate and consistent way to bake. Cup sizes can vary a lot between countries, which can affect the results. I recommend using a digital kitchen scale if you can—it makes a big difference and is super easy to use. Hope you give it a go! N x
This is one of my fav go to cakes! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I substitute glucose with honey in the ganache and the result is still amazing. One question: if I do not add hazelnuts and the sauce on top, can I store this cake in the freezer?
Hi Vicky! So glad you loved the recipe as much as I do! Very interesting substitute and thanks for sharing! I’ll have to give that a try! Hmm, I’ve never frozen the cake but if you wrap it really tightly in plastic wrap, I think that would work, N x