Hazelnut Nutella Pound Cake

 

My daughter has been bugging me to come up with a recipe that incorporates Nutella into it. With this in mind I set out to create a cake that incorporated the sweet chocolate flavor but also played on the hazelnuts that are in the Nutella. Another requirement was to find the perfect balance to ensure the cake wasn't overly sweet and most of all that my husband would eat, since he prefers anything without chocolate. The cake turned out great and came together very quickly. The cake is perfect with a cup of coffee for breakfast or even for dessert, especially if you add a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream. If you love Nutella as much as we do in our house you'll need to give this pound cake a try. 

Hazelnut Nutella Pound Cake

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup hazelnuts, finely ground or chopped

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 oz. (about 1 cup) Nutella

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour, set aside.

In a medium sized bowl combine flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder and salt.  

Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low speed add the flour-hazelnut mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Don't over mix.

Spread about 1/3 of the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Add 1/2 of the Nutella over the batter and smooth as well. Add another 1/3 of the batter and the rest of the Nutella making sure to smooth each addition. Finish with the remaining batter and smooth the top. Run a knife through the cake to create a marbling effect.

Bake the cake until it is golden brown  and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then invert it onto a wire rack, making sure to turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely. 

You can store the uneaten cake wrapped well at room temperature for up to 3 days.