Fun & Flavorful Nutella Hot Chocolate Cake for Christmas

Looking for a tasty Christmas cake this holiday season? 

This Nutella Hot Chocolate Cake will satisfy any sweet tooth and will be loved by any chocolate lover. 

Since hot chocolate is a holiday drink favorite I knew that making a hot chocolate cake would be so much fun and well enjoyed! But deciding to add Nutella was the best decision, it truly makes this cake so special. 

For those of you who don’t know Nutella, it’s a creamy chocolate hazelnut spread. It can be enjoyed in desserts like crepes, spread on toast with fresh fruit or eaten by the spoonful! It can be addictive!  

This Nutella Hot Chocolate cake is made with three soft layers of dark chocolate cake filled with Nutella buttercream, marshmallow fluff that’s drizzled with Nutella. This cake is topped with white chocolate ganache and big fluffy marshmallows! 

The dark chocolate cake is light and fluffy and it’s not too sweet which makes for the perfect balance with the Nutella buttercream and marshmallow fluff. 

With all these ingredients, layered together this rich and decadent cake tastes just like a cup of hot chocolate. Serve your holiday guests a piece of this cake with a nicely lit fire for the perfect winter night! 

Tips for Success: 

• Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
• In this cake recipe, you need 1 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own. 
• You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze up to one month. 
• You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping.
• A single batch of this cake recipe makes three, 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three, 8-inch cake layers.
• Serve cake at room temperature. 

What Tools You’ll Need to Make This Cake: 

• 5-quart, Stand Mixer with mixing bowl & paddle attachment
• 3, 6-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans
• Offset spatula 
• 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board 
• Serrated knife or cake leveler 
• Turntable 
• Cake scraper or bench scraper
• Piping bag (I use reusable silicone bags)
• Whisk or sifter
• Rubber Spatula
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
• Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
• Squeeze bottle
• Cake Stand, optional
• Red & White Paper Straws

Here’s how to make this Nutella Hot Chocolate Cake that will soon be your next holiday favorite! 

Let’s Get Baking! 

How to Make Dark Chocolate Cake Layers

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
2. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, stir together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
3. Add the eggs and the vegetable oil on low until well incorporated.
4. Pour in the buttermilk and add brewed coffee. Mix on medium for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
5. Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely — wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. 

How to Make Creamy Nutella Buttercream 

1. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and nutella until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add cocoa powder. Then gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the salt, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix until combined. Mix until incorporated completely. Scrape down sides of the bowl. 
3. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add a tiny dot of green and yellow gel food color as needed. Then turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles.

How to Make White Chocolate Water Ganache Drip 

1. In a medium glass bowl, melt white chocolate candy melts and water in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate candy melts have mostly melted. 
2. Then mix with a rubber spatula. Continue to mix until the chocolate and water are well combined and streak free. If there are chunks of chocolate, melt for 10 seconds at a time until the chocolate is fully melted or pour the chocolate into a fine mesh sifter to remove any chocolate lumps. 
3. Pour the chocolate into a squeeze bottle for a comfortable grip for decorating. If chocolate drip becomes too cold and hardens then heat in the microwave for 5-10 seconds, shake or stir to make sure its all the same temperature. Don’t overheat or chocolate will separate, and you’ll have to remix.  

Putting It All Together

1. Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome of the cakes to make the layers flat and even. 
2. Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. Layer the chilled dark chocolate cake, cut side up onto the cake board. 
3. Add a thin layer of nutella buttercream over the cake and pipe a circle of buttercream around the edges of the cake. 
4. Add 1/3 cup of marshmallow fluff filling inside the ring of buttercream. Then add a drizzle of melted nutella on top of the filling.  
5. Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. Repeat the process for another layer — Crumb coat with nutella buttercream and freeze for 30 minutes.
6. Add a thick layer of nutella buttercream all over the cake. Use an offset spatula to fill in any gaps with more buttercream. Then use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides of the cake. Use the offset spatula to make the top edges sharp and smooth. 
7. Add the white chocolate water ganache dripping down the sides and the top of the cake. Use a small offset spatula to smooth out the ganache on top. 
8. Finally, add the large marshmallows on top and add the paper straw to complete this hot chocolate cake. Serve at room temperature and enjoy! 

You May Also Enjoy: 

• Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cake (tutorial)
• 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Exchange (post)
• Common Baking Mistakes & How to Avoid Them (free ebook) 
• How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course) 
• Cake Decorating for Beginners (online course)
• Cake Decorating Tool Kit (24-piece kit with free shipping)

Now that you know how to make this Nutella Hot Chocolate Cake your holiday guests will be thrilled to eat this cake. It’s made with ingredients everyone loves so you know it’ll be your favorite Christmas cake! 

Happy Holidays! 

Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out, Cake Decorating Creator Program, my online cake course. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it so you get the results you want most. Like any new skill, it’s important to learn from the ground up to build a foundation, so take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. Check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/online-cake-course. I will see you there.

Watch The How-to Video Below: 

 

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