My mocha hazelnut cake is a gloriously easy (and foolproof) recipe for a cake with a moist fluffy texture and layers of rich flavor from chocolate and coffee to toasty nuts. Make it for friends, family, or coworkers ~ then sit back and enjoy the compliments!
Can we talk? I want to make sure you get the takeaways on this wow of a mocha hazelnut cake. Oh and by the way ~ if any of you run bakeries or restaurants you’ll want to pay special attention, this versatile cake is a winner. The classic flavor combo (think Nutella with a shot of caffeine) is unbeatable. The mocha cake has a unique cloud-like softness along with the crunch of toasted hazelnuts. It’s light enough for breakfast or snacking, but complex enough to serve for dessert.
I’m on a roll with really fantastic cake recipes lately ~ have you tried my French Pistachio Cake, my Butter Pecan Peach Cake, or my Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake? All are really really good. And the hits just keep on coming with this mocha hazelnut cake. I love it, everybody who tested it loved it, and you’re going to love it too. (Be sure to check out the video in the recipe card to see how we make it.)
mocha hazelnut cake ingredients
- hazelnuts
- buy raw hazelnuts (skin on) and roast them yourself. Toasting is key to bringing out the flavor of so many nuts: see my instructions for toasting them in the recipe, below. Takes just 2 minutes in the microwave to amp up the flavor!
- heavy cream
- espresso powder
- You want instant coffee or espresso, don’t use actual ground coffee beans. Look for it in the coffee section of your supermarket, it will come in a small jar.
- large eggs
- sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- vanilla paste or extract
- all purpose flour
- baking powder and salt
- powdered sugar
- for dusting the baked cake.
THE PAN
For my mocha hazelnut cake I use a 9″ springform pan. This is important for two reasons:
- The pan has extra high sides to hold the batter for this tall cake. Do not try to use a regular 9″ cake pan, it will not have enough volume to hold this cake.
- The springform pan allows you to release the cake without having to flip it out for slicing and serving (a cake this good deserves a nice presentation!)
my secret for transferring cakes to platters or cake stands
I keep a super wide, super thin metal cake safe lifter to slide under a delicate cake like this mocha hazelnut cake and remove it from the springform pan bottom. I can easily transfer it to a serving platter or cake stand. It’s one of those kitchen tools you don’t usually think about until you need it! I also use it for pizza and large focaccia loaves.
what you can expect from my mocha hazelnut cake
Cake recipes like this are gems, you won’t come across them every day. You could almost throw out any other chocolate coffee cakes in your collection. As a professional recipe developer I hardly ever come back to a cake once it’s been thoroughly tested and shared (I’ve got so many others to discover!) but I’ve earmarked this one as a recipe I’ll be baking for years to come.
This chocolate cake represents the lighter side of chocolate, which is a refreshing option. And hazelnuts? Don’t get me started…these under-appreciated nuts have the best flavor. The cake rises nice and tall, and doesn’t sink in the middle. If I had to pick one standout feature it would have to be the fluffy texture. It really is an impressive cake.
love coffee cakes?
- Rhubarb lovers take note, this cake is superb, and superbly easy. Reinvent it with other fruit like berries or peaches.
- A tall New York Style crumb cake with the unexpected and uniquely warm flavor of cardamom.
Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake (Ciambella)
- My favorite flavor stars in this simple Italian ring cake made with wholesome yogurt.
- A summery tea cake that could be reinvented with apples and cinnamon for fall.
12 Cozy Breakfast Cake Recipes
- Cakes you can eat for breakfast like today’s mocha hazelnut cake are a specialty of the house here in the Great Island kitchen!
Mocha Hazelnut Cake
Equipment
- 9" springform pan you can buy here
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts*, plus extra for topping
- 2 cups heavy cream, cold
- 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 cups (minus one tablespoon) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- powdered sugar for dusting the baked cake
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour your 9" springform pan.
- Finely chop your hazelnuts. I do this in my food processor, pulsing until they are finely ground but not reduced to a meal. Set aside.
- Combine the cold cream with the espresso powder and then whip until it forms firm peaks. Refrigerate.
- Whisk together your flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Whisk eggs, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla until really light and fluffy (I do this in my stand mixer.) Fold in the flour mixture, and the hazelnuts and mix until no dry streaks remain.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the batter until, again, there are no streaks left. Do this gently but thoroughly so you don't deflate the air you've whipped into the cream. Turn the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until puffed and golden on top. The sides of the cake will be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out without wet batter on it ~ but moist crumbs are fine. The cake may still have a slight wobble to it. FYI my cake took closer to 60 minutes but your oven may bake differently. Note: do not open the oven door prematurely as this can cause the cake to sink.
- Let the cake cool for ten minutes, then release from the pan. Transfer to a cake stand or serving plate and dust with powdered sugar. Top with more crushed hazelnuts.
- The cake is wonderful warm or at room temperature. Store on the counter under a cake dome or loosely tented with foil. It will keep for several days.
This was delicious! Also easy even though it takes two bowls. The hazelnuts add a great flavor – my friends thought it had liquor. I like mocha a lot but actually think this would taste better with just chocolate.
Sue – curious about your thoughts about using a little black chocolate to up the chocolate flavor. Any ideas on how much to use and to sub for the regular chocolate?
If you love the deep slightly bitter flavor of extra dark chocolate (I do!) then feel free to use it here. You can actually use all black chocolate, or mix it with regular cocoa powder, your choice.
Can I substitute hazelnut with Walnuts?
Yes you can, I love walnuts. Just be aware that walnuts tend to have a slightly bitter undertone which some of us find pleasant, but some do not. Pecans are another good choice.
How long and at what speed did you whisk the eggs mixture? Mine mixture (whisked on a stand mixer) never became light and fluffy. It looked like thickened chocolate soup.
I would whisk about 3 minutes, and don’t worry, “light and fluffy” is a generic term and just means the mixture should lighten in color and be smooth and silky.
Thank you for clarifying. The cake turned out very light and delicious, not too sweet.
Your video for it seems to be missing. But it looks delicious!
The video is right in the recipe card, at the lower end.