Ferrero Rocher cake

I lured you here with the promise of chocolate for Easter but really, this is another birthday cake. Oops! You could totally make it for Easter though ;) Richa wanted to make a cake for her friend's birthday so we planned and baked this one together. In this recipe, I've paired my favourite light and buttery white sponge with a deep, dark and velvety Nutella buttercream, all topped off with crushed Blue Ribbon wafers and a Ferrero Rocher crown. Yum, yum and YUM.

I'll be honest with you, I personally would have made this cake with a chocolate sponge and chopped hazelnuts instead of crushed wafers for a more authentic Ferrero Rocher taste. I feel if you're going to go for a flavour like chocolate, you may as well go in for the full whoomph effect. If you agree with me, follow my notes at the end of the recipe. But if you're like Richa, and actually want a soft white cake with just a luscious edging of that chocolatey goodness and no nuts in sight, this is perfect. The Nutella buttercream is intense and tastes exactly like Ferrero Rocher, so you'll still get your chocolate fix. And I have to give it to Richa, the crushed wafers are so good with this cake. 

The white cake layers? This post is really just another way I've used the funfetti cake recipe, sans the sprinkles.  It's fluffy and yet somehow dense, with a soft and vanilla-scented crumb. I've paired it with both coffee and strawberry frostings (not at once) and it always just works. I'm playing around with a more delicate hot milk sponge recipe but this one has quickly become my failsafe sturdy white cake. Thank you, Molly Yeh! I find it bakes in nearly even layers so I don't even need to trim before decorating. I didn't use a sugar syrup this time but if you have some Frangelico in your kitchen, go ahead and soak this cake with a grown-up sugar syrup for another layer of flavour. Because...why not? ;)

This is a beautiful celebration cake. It looks great, smells incredible whenever you walk past and is just a delight to eat. Go on, Lent's over. 

Ferrero Rocher cake

Serves 8-10 generously. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 batch of funfetti cake, made without the sprinkles and cooled*
• 3/4 - 1 cup butter, softened (I use Lurpak's slightly salted)
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 - 1 cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup crushed Blue Ribbon or other chocolate wafers
• 8 Ferrero Rocher pieces, to decorate

METHOD

For the buttercream, beat together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes on high until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder, a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter and Nutella (start with 3/4 cup) and beat for another 1-2 minutes. While the stand or handheld mixer is going, loosen the mixture by beating in 2 tablespoons of the milk, adding more only as needed to reach your desired consistency. Try not to overbeat at this stage as the Nutella might separate and become grainy. If it does, don't worry, just add another tablespoon or two of butter and a trickle more milk and it should stabilise.

To assemble, place one layer of the completely cooled cake on your cake stand. Liberally spread with the Nutella buttercream and then top with the second layer. Set aside about 1/2 cup of frosting for piping and then frost the top and sides of the cake, using an angled spatula periodically dipped in hot water and then wiped clean to smoothen everything out. I bought this icing tip recently and it makes frosting cakes evenly SO easy. 

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the crushed wafers (Richa smashed the wafers in a plastic sandwich bag with a rolling pin). 

Fit an icing bag with a large star tip (something like the first one in this set...yes, I love Lakeland) and fill with the reserved and leftover frosting. Pipe 8 snug rounds/nests over the top of the cake. Top with the Ferrero Rocher pieces. 

Step back and admire your handiwork. You did it!

 Notes: If you'd like this with a chocolate cake base, use the chocolate sheet cake recipe to make two 9" layers. If you're making this for a smaller group and want to go the chocolate cake route, use this cake recipe and make only 2/3 of the buttercream. For a nutty topping in place of the wafers, toast 1/2 cup of hazelnuts in a pan over medium-low for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant (watch out, they burn easily so keep them moving to toast evenly)  and then roughly chop.