Mocha Hazelnut Cake

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. 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.

• 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