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Moist Chocolate Layer Cake with Whipped Chocolate Nutella Mousse Frosting
Homemade Chocolate Cake that is Moist, Airy and Not Too Sweet
This cake is my most requested dessert from the chocoholics in my family. The texture is dense enough to feel indulgent yet aerated enough to melt away the moment it hits your tongue. The paradox of it all is that this cake is both fudgy and light. The hot coffee helps to bloom all the chocolate in this cake but doesn’t leave any kind of mocha taste; it is just a megaphone for the chocolate, making it just the right amount of intense.
Why This Chocolate Cake Is Ridiculously Moist
Instead of butter, I use neutral oil, which keeps every slice tender and moist for days (oil doesn’t firm up in the fridge the way butter does). Add buttermilk and sour cream into the mix, and you get a crumb that’s dense enough to feel luxurious but aerated enough to feel light. It’s a contradiction that just works—like wearing sweatpants to a fancy brunch.
What’s in this homemade chocolate layer cake
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- decaf coffee
- canola oil
- buttermilk
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- espresso powder
- baking powder
- baking soda
- nutella
- heavy cream
- dark chocolate
- vanilla
Whipped Chocolate Nutella Ganache Makes a Delicious Mousse Frosting
And there’s whipped nutella. You will never find me frosting my cakes or cupcakes with buttercream. I simply am not a fan of the heavy and sweet frostings. My whipped nutella uses the same base as my whipped chocolate frosting, using equal parts of really good chocolate callets, nutella and heavy cream. I let that all melt together into a smooth insane ganache. I don’t add sugar to this. I whip that all up until it gets fluffy. It makes the perfect, stable, fluffy frosting. So good.
Not Too Sweet, Just Right
In true ModeratePosh fashion, this cake leans into balance. The chocolate is rich, the frosting is dreamy, and the sweetness knows when to quit. It’s the dessert equivalent of someone who’s effortlessly charming without trying too hard.
Chocolate Layer Cake with Whipped Nutella Frosting
Crafted for those who appreciate true chocolate flavor, my signature Chocolate Layer Cake features a cloud-like whipped nutella frosting that is not too sweet. This is the perfect centerpiece for birthdays, anniversaries, or just-because moments.
This cake has a soft, moist and velvety crumb that melts in your mouth. Forget the heavy, overly sweet buttercreams. My frosting is whipped into a light, airy mousse, blending iconic hazelnut chocolate flavors of nutella with a silky finish.
I have meticulously balanced the sugar levels to let the complex notes of roasted hazelnuts and cocoa shine through. It’s indulgent but won’t leave you with a sugar crash.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
cake
- 1 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (65 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural)
- 1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons (320 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) canola oil (or neutral oil)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot strong decaf coffee (regular ok too)
nutella frosting
- 12 ounces nutella
- 12 ounces dark chocolate callets
- 12 ounces heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line each pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper and sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder together.
- In mixer with the whisk attachment, mix oil, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add buttermilk and sour cream and mix on low until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, 1/3 at time, mixing on low and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With mixer on low, drizzle in the hot coffee and stop the mixer after all the coffee is done. With a silicone spatula, scrape sides and bottom to make sure the batter is completely combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. If using 8 or 9 inch pans, bake for 24 to 26 minutes at 350°F. If using 6 inch deep pans, bake for 27 to 29 minutes on 325°F. Use a cake tester to test for doneness. Set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pans to continue cooling.
- Make the chocolate nutella whipped frosting: Combine the nutella and chocolate callets in a bowl. Heat up the heavy cream until just starting to simmer. Pour the cream over the nutella mixture and cover the bowl. Let that sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir the mixture together until well combined and smooth. If the chocolate does not completely melt put it over a double boiler to gently warm the mixture until the chocolate has completely melted. Cover and refrigerate the ganache for at least 4 to 6 hours.
- Transfer the cooled ganache to the bowl of your stand mixture. Ganache should be stiff but pliable. If it feels very solid, let that sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. With the whisk attachment, whisk on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the ganache turns light and fluffy.
- Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Top with 2nd layer and spread frosting evenly over the top. Repeat if using more layers and spread over the sides. An icing spatula works great to frost cakes.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes before slicing. This helps the the frosting set. Leftover cake should be taken out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to slicing.
❓ FAQ’s for Moist Chocolate Cake with Whipped Nutella Mousse Frosting
Not at all! The hot decaf coffee is purely a flavor-enhancing technique used to bloom the cocoa and deepen the chocolate flavor. You won’t taste the coffee itself — you’ll just taste an exceptionally rich, full-bodied chocolate cake.
Absolutely. The flavor result will be identical. Decaf is simply used so the cake is friendly for all ages and caffeine sensitivities without sacrificing any of that chocolate depth.
You can, but the texture will be noticeably different. Butter produces a slightly firmer, denser crumb while neutral oil keeps the cake consistently moist throughout — even on day two or three. For this recipe, oil is strongly recommended to achieve that signature texture.
Dark chocolate callets (also called fèves or pistoles) work beautifully here because they melt evenly. A chocolate with 60–70% cacao content gives you a deep, rich ganache without veering into bitter territory. Bars chopped into small pieces work just as well.
That’s actually what makes it special — it’s not. The dark chocolate ganache base keeps things balanced and slightly bitter, and the Nutella adds hazelnut warmth and subtle sweetness without making the frosting cloying. It’s a frosting for people who think most frostings are too sweet (you know who you are).
The recipe makes a classic layer cake — the number of layers is up to you and your pans! Two, three, 4 or 5 layers work beautifully with this frosting.
They add moisture, richness, and a subtle tang that balances the chocolate. Together they create that signature dense-yet-aerated crumb that makes this cake feel indulgent without being heavy.
Yes! Thanks to the oil, buttermilk, and sour cream, the cake layers stay moist for days. You can bake the layers ahead and frost when ready to serve.
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