Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake (The Pioneer Woman Cooks!)

I made this cake on a whim. I didn’t feel like making ganache, so in desperation, I reached for the the half-eaten tub of Nutella I’d hidden on the top shelf of our pantry to keep out of my kids’ grubby hands and used it for the chocolate “icing” layer. I probably don’t need to tell you the bliss that ensued.

I wound up making this on the first episode of the new season of my Food Network show, which starts tomorrow morning. Because I was feeling obnoxious, I decided to double the original recipe and make a four layer monstrosity, which was delicious and hilarious all at the same time.

Delicious, because…well, you’ll see when you read the recipe.

Hilarious, because…well…

This happened.

But that’s another story for another time!

If you just stick to the 2-layer version below, all will be right with the world.

Place 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Let it melt…

Then add 4 tablespoons cocoa powder…

And stir it together until smooth.

Add 1 cup of boiling water, let it bubble up for 30 seconds or so, then remove from heat.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.

Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir it until it’s about halfway combined.

Mix together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda until it’s smooth…

Then mix it into the chocolate/flour mixture until it all comes together. This is the basic chocolate sheet cake recipe I’ve been using for years, the one my mother-in-law handed to me with a wink and a nod when I became engaged to her son. It’s the best all-purpose chocolate cake in the Milky Way galaxy.

Line 2 9-inch round cake pans with a round of parchment paper…

Then spray the parchment with nonstick baking spray.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans…

And bake them for 18 to 20 minutes, or until no longer jiggly in the center.

Turn the cakes out of the pans…

Carefully peel off the parchment, and set them aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings: Hull and slice the strawberries…

Then sprinkle on the sugar…

Add the vanilla…

And stir them around.

Let them sit and macerate for 15 minutes…

Then drain off the excess juices.

Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff. Now it’s time to assemble the cake!

Place one cake layer upside down on a cake stand so that the top will be perfectly flat.

Grab 3/4 cup of Nutella…

And spread it into a single layer.

Plop half the whipped cream over the top…

And spread it into a single layer.

Then sprinkle on half the strawberries.

Place the other cake layer upside down on top of the berries…

(And by the way, it appears in some of these photos that the cake is burned, but it definitely isn’t. It’s just my subpar photography skills.)

(Amen.)

Then add another layer of Nutella…

The rest of the whipped cream…

And the rest of the strawberries.

Yummy!

Use a serrated knife to cut slices and serve ‘em up! This is crazy good, man.

Variation
Halve all the quantities to make a 1-layer cake if you’d like something a little smaller.
Double all the quantities to make a 4-layer cake if you’d like to make an impression! (Cautionary Tale: See photo near the top of this post.)
Substitute blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries (or a combination thereof) for the strawberries.

Here’s the handy dandy printable:

Recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 18 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Cake
2 sticks Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa Powder
1 cup Boiling Water
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1-1/2 cup Nutella
Strawberries
2 pints Strawberries, Hulled And Sliced
1/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Whipped Cream
2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 round baking pans with parchment, then spray the parchment with baking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa and stir it until smooth. Pour in the boiling water, let the mixture bubble up for 20 seconds or so, then turn it off and set it aside.

In a measuring pitcher or bowl, mix together the buttermilk, baking soda, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in the hot chocolate mixture, stirring gently until it's halfway combined and less hot. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and continue stirring gently until the batter is all combined.

Pour the batter into the pans and bake them for 17-20 minute, until they're just set. Remove them from the pans and set them aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries by stirring them with the sugar and the vanilla. Let them macerate for 15 minutes, then drain off the excess juice.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar.

To assemble, turn one layer upside down on a serving platter. Spread half the Nutella all over the surface. Spread on half the whipped cream and top with half the strawberries Place the other layer upside down on top and repeat with the rest of the Nutella, whipped cream, and strawberries. Keep chilled until serving. Cut with a serrated knife!

Note: Don't assemble more than an hour before serving.

Posted by Ree on May 31 2013