Chocolate, chocolate everywhere! I was looking through some older posts the other day, and I came across these Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes with Nutella Cloud Frosting. And while I've never been fixated on Nutella desserts, I had almost forgotten how much I loved the way the sweet and hazelnutty flavour and creamy texture of Nutella added a much-welcome addition to these otherwise classic (but awesome) chocolate cupcakes.
So this week I decided to make a super-simple, quick and easy cake version of those cupcakes, embracing quality dark chocolate, extra dark cocoa powder and, of course, Nutella.
Simply put, the frosting is magical. Like unicorn and rainbows magical. I have this thing about chocolate frosting. I kind of need it to be airy and satiny, as opposed to super-fudgy and denseāI think it pairs so well with a deep, dark moist chocolate cake, such as this one.
This frosting is a take on that same Nutella Cloud Frosting I had used on the cupcakes, but I decided to add much more Nutella and a generous amount of sour cream to balance out the sweet. Rather than using the mixer, I just popped everything into my food processor and gave it a 60-second spin or so.Ā The result was the creamiest and richest sweet chocolate frosting I've ever tasted.
In addition to the Nutella, we add a good dose of extra dark premium melted chocolate (I used a 70%) to help keep some of the intense chocolate flavour. The Nutella lends to the satiny texture, but because it is already quite sweet, the overall quality of this frosting is on the sweet side, but with a dark decadence.
If you can't get Nutella, or if you find you prefer a deeper flavour with minimal sweetness, you could even skip the Nutella and add a handful of ground hazelnuts. Of course the texture would change to a more rustic one, but the taste would be notably more sophisticated.
But Nutella seems to bring a nostalgic element for some, and if this cake is going anywhere near a little cakelet's belly, I think Nutella is the way to go, because kids go, well, nuts for this stuff.
And because this cake, as simple as it is, is a celebration of chocolate, I opted for a medley of chocolate sprinkles as the finishing touch. It adds an interesting visual and delightful chocolaty crunch to each slice.
For the piped border, I went with an unfussy shell-style border, but extended each one for a few extra seconds to create a more elongated shell look. Nothing fancy, but quick, easy and pretty. Because this frosting pipes like a dream, it makes for the perfect frosting border.
So this photo just goes to show that not all cakes look picture-perfect when sliced (this is what happens when I frost a cake and take photos 10 minutes later, rather than refrigerating it for some time to set), but holy Easter-bunny this chocolaty madness is divine. And it couldn't be easier to create. You'll see!
Good luck & let's bake the world happy!
