A few weeks ago we went to Oregon coast, as you saw on my Instagram account. It was my parents’ 40th Anniversary, so I baked a special cake to bring with us. My family is so spoiled by all the delicious foods, with one sister being a professional chef and another that bakes, that it’s not always easy to impress them. This cake, however, created a commotion.
I have also baked two of same cakes for kids, school fundraiser, one was sold for $600, insane right?! They told me that it was delicious.
The recipe for this cake is very simple, with step by step photo process. It doesn’t require any special skill and wont take much of your time.
For this recipe, you will need to bake one 7 inch Cacao Sponge Cake (click link for the recipe), divide the dough into two baking pans so it bakes better. Or if you wish to make an 11-inch cake, then bake two Cacao Sponge Cakes and double the cream.
Other Chocolate Cakes to Try
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Chocolate Sponge Cake (red details above)
- 2 cup Hazelnuts
- 8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup Nutella room temperature
- 14 oz Dulce De Leche
- 1/2 cup Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Prepare the sponge cake for the recipe, link for the sponge cake is provided above. Slice the cake into two even pieces.
- Toast hazelnuts in an oven for about 10 minutes at 350F.
- Combine together dulce de leche (cooked condensed milk), cream cheese, butter and nutella. Whisk together in a blender until it's perfectly smooth.
- To have a nicely clean plate, cover the sides with foil. Place the first layer and apply an even amount of cream to it.
- Apply an even amount of hazelnuts on to each layer of cream.
- Cover the cake with the remaining cream. Leave it refrigerating while you prepare the next step.
- Heat whipping cream to a boil. Pour it over chocolate chips, let it sit for a few minutes and stir to combine. Continue stirring until the mixture is completely smooth. Let it cool to a room temperature.
- Using a pastry or a zip lock bag, pipe the edge of the cake with chocolate, letting the drizzles go down the sides. Pipe some onto the middle and spread with a spatula.
- Sprinkle some hazelnuts on the edges of the cake and place it in a refrigerator overnight or at least for several hours.
Hi Nataliya,
What type of cocoa powder do you use in this recipe dutch processed or natural? And if either what will the difference be taste wise?
Hey Reine, it really depends on what I have on hand. Most of the time I use dutch processed because it has a deeper flavor and color. But either one of them would work in this recipe.
Hi,
Can I replace the chocolate sponge cake with a classic chocolate cake?
Hi Samia, yes for sure. I hope you love the recipe.
I am planning to make this recipe. But I dont have hazelnuts. should i leave it out or walnuts works? . I am new in baking cake, been reading the comments about soaking a cake to milk or sugar. How is that process? should I prep milk and place the cake and soak for few minutes or how? LOL. I cannot visualize the soaking part. Thank you
Hey Grace, you can definitely use walnuts. For soaking, you just drizzle the cake with sweet milk. Enjoy it!
Thank you. I already made it for my son's 6th birthday tomorrow. I was going to share a photo but seems I cant. It was really nice and thank you for the recipe
You can join our Momsdish community on Facebook, I would love to see the photo there.
Turned out amazing!! This recipe is a keeper!
Jenya, thank you for sharing! I am so glad you loved it!
Natalya, do you think I can substitute 1/2 of the butter with 8 more Oz cream cheese (so I want to use a total of 1/2 cup butter and 16 Oz of cream cheese) ? My family isn't a fan of butter cream Frosting, and since this is the first time ever I'm making a cake I want to be sure I won't screw it up. Thank you!
Yes, you can definitely replace the butter with cream cheese.
Delicious frosting! I made it with my own chocolate cake recipe with some amaretto in the cake mix, but everything else was same. Took to dinner at a fish house for a birthday dinner with friends, even strangers oohed and ahhed over it! We had a lot so we gave them a few slices. Rave reviews from all! One fellow shook my hand! lol! Frosting is excellent, sweet but perfect with the ganache and nuts. Adding this to my recipe book and I don't add many! Thank you!
Oh my goodness! such an awesome review. Made my smile! So glad it turned out so beautiful for you, sounds like you guys made some new friends! π
Do these cake need to be soaked with anything? Itβs not too dry without soaking?
Itβs butter cream cake. Itβs up to you if you want to soak it. Usually I donβt.
Wow!!! Stunning
Does the cream frosting require cream cheese, or can that be subbed out for something else?
You can replace it with butter.
I am going to make this cake for my sis bday. How do you make dulce de leche?
I usually buy them at Walmart in Hispanic section. But here is my friends blog that shares details on how you can make it at home: http://natashaskitchen.com/20β¦
The recipe says one sponge cake cut in half to make two pieces. However in your pictures of the step by step recipe, your have four pieces. Am I missing something?
There is a note about this in description of the cake recipe. "For this recipe you will need to bake one 7 inch Cacao Sponge Cake (click link for the recipe), divide dough into two baking pans so it bakes better. Or if you wish to make an 11 inch cake, then bake two Cacao Sponge Cakes and double the cream."
Hi Natasha,
I want to make this cake tall and a little wider. What if i used the same recipe of 5 eggs and sugar per one layer and cook seperately and then beat up another 5 eggs with the sugar it needed for another layer. And then cut all in half to make 4 layers. And just double the cream.
My question is, is there such thing as too much "cake" in a cake? or will it equal out since there will double cream. Like could it be possible to have too much of a thickness of cake layer? I do want a tall and wider cake. What do you think?
Also do you think this cream can make a swirl on top for decoration? will it stand or melt?
If you want larger cake just double up the ingredients on everything or add just 1/2 more. It hard to understand from your comment what exactly you are trying to double up. I would increase all ingredients by same percentage so you get same results.
Have you ever tried making this into a sheet cake? Do you think that would work?
Oh yeah it would work. Just need to figure out the sizes π
Love this cake
to make this cake for a group of 10 people, how would you make this cake bigger? bigger in length or taller? how many eggs, etc...
I think this would serve 10 people. If you want, you can double the recipe and bake it on 11x8 baking sheet. It would be a good way to make it too.
Can I make sponge cake a day ahead?
Yes π just keep it in a sealed container.
Delicious
Stunning!!!
We love this cake!
Delicious cake plus very easy to make... Thanks for the recipe
Oh so pretty! Thanks for sharing your photo and feedback π
Delicious. Made for church gathering and it was delicious.... Lots of great feedback received. Thank you.
I like how your cake looks. Thanks for sharing the picture.
This Cake looks so delicious!
Thank You for Sharing!:))
I want to soak sponge cake layers with liqueur
What would you suggest?
Like maybe coffe, amaretto, chocolate liqueur?
Oh that's hard to say. All depends on what you like the most. I think coffee is a great one but I am not sure π
My sister in law made this cake for her birthday. Oh it was delicious..
Oh that's so awesome!!! It's sad that I am juicing now lol
Made it for friends and they loved it βΊοΈ
Oh wow! Looks so pretty
What can I use to soak the sponge cake??
Whipping cream with condensed milk.
Okay thank you, will try that. I'm going to try to make it for Thankagiving π
I didn't soak it. I liked it that way.
Baked for my daughter birthday!
Nothing look like yours (lol) but hope it taste good! Will try it tomorrow π
I like how yours looks like. Tell me how you guys like it?
Omg!!!!!! It was soooooo good, there is no words to describe!!!! (I did soak it tho like in comments below) kids said tastes like Ferraro Rosher candy! (Well, "(kids)", lol, my older daughter turned 20 - they will stay kids for us forever)
Thank you for sharing!!!!!
God bless you and your family!
Oh so sweet! Glad you guys loved the cake. Thanks for sharing feedback π
I am going to make this cake for friday. Could I add whipping cream to the buttercream mixture and whisk it for a fluffier buttercream, just like in your honey cake recipe? If so, what amounts would you suggest? Thanks! π
I would do 1/3 portion of whipping cream. So remove 1/3 of ingredients and add in whipping cream to replace it. Does that make sense?
I dont know how you get that tall of a cake with only 5 eggs.
It's small cake, 7 inch cake.
Made this cake a few days ago and it was so delicious!! I cannot wait to make it again lol.
I, however used the evaporated milk to soak the slices because I like a moist cake. Cake took it all inside and felt like it wasn't enough liquid, but the cream is just perfect.
My only concern is, cake wasn't as tall as yours. I used the 5 egg recipe for two 9" pan and it looked half size of yours that you have in pic. What sizes did you use exactly?
My hubby complimented a few times that this is his favorite cake now and we gave all of our slices away to family to try.
You can use 11 inch and make two cakes, it will not be too tall. If you make two 9 inch sponge cakes it will be just uncomfortably tall.
I like the soaking tip, I wi try that in the future. Thanks for sharing your feedback! π
looking at the pictures makes me want to make it again! I only had one slice, and it wasnt enough, since we shared. So just to calrify to make a 11inch cake, you said to make 2 cakes, that means 10 eggs total and double the sugar, etc. But bake it seperate probably huh. And I probably have to double the cream too huh.
Yes to everything π bake separate, you may not need to double cream but but yes more of cream as wel
So good!
Wow! I am in love with your cake decore! Absolutely so pretty!
This cake was sooo delicious! Made it twice n it was gone in no time
Thanks for sharing your sweet comment. I do wish you have shared a slice with me π