A chocolate hazelnut ice cream cake with a moist chocolate loaf cake, two layers of chocolate ice cream & hazelnuts, topped with a nutella whipped cream.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. // Recipe updated 07/19/24.
chocolate hazelnut ice cream cake
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE hazelnuts. And while chocolate isn’t my go-to flavor for most bakes, there’s just something about pairing chocolate with hazelnuts that works (hint: nutella!) It all starts with a super moist chocolate loaf cake that we’ll layer with chocolate ice cream, hazelnuts & nutella. After it freezes and it’s all set, we’ll top it off with a nutella whipped cream for even more delicious chocolate and hazelnut flavor.
why you’ll love this chocolate hazelnut ice cream cake
- The cake is super moist: the chocolate loaf cake stays moist (as moist as a frozen cake could be) since we’re using oil instead of butter in it.
- Chocolate & hazelnut: a perfect pairing.
- It’s easy to make: it’s super easy to make – the hardest part is just waiting for it to freeze! 🙂
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
How to make your chocolate cupcakes more chocolatey:
The secret to getting more chocolate flavor into your chocolate cake? Bloom your cocoa powder! Blooming your cocoa powder just means that you’re mixing the cocoa with a hot liquid. Here we’re using hot espresso to both bloom the cocoa and add moisture into the cake. Adding in the hot espresso releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. It’s truly such a simple way to add more chocolate flavor into your bakes, and makes it easier for the cocoa to incorporate into the batter.
Be careful when mixing the batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cupcakes go from light and moist to dense and chewy. When you’re mixing in the dry ingredients, be sure that you only mix *just until* that last streak of flour disappears into the batter.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
freeze the ice cream cake overnight
The cake will need to be set in the freezer for at least 6 hours but will be best if it’s made the day before and able to set up overnight.
how to tell when your loaf cake is done.
It’s always a little game with telling if your loaf is done. Sometimes it will look done, but it’s still super wet in the center, and now that you’ve opened the oven door, you risk the loaf collapsing in the middle, which is never desirable. I recommend waiting until at least 40 minutes to start checking for doneness. When checking for doneness, you’ll want to take a toothpick and stick it down the exact center of the loaf. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs, you’re good to take it out! If it’s still a little wet, put the loaf back in the oven, checking in 5-minute intervals for doneness.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for chocolate hazelnut ice cream cake:
chocolate cake:
- All purpose flour: for structure.
- Baking powder: for leavening and giving that “cakey” texture
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness
- Dutch process cocoa powder: I highly recommend using dutch process cocoa powder as it has a deeper chocolate flavor. You can substitute in natural cocoa powder, just note that the cake will be lighter in color and less flavorful.
- Espresso: a shot of hot espresso poured over the cocoa helps bring out that ultra chocolatey flavor. You can use freshly brewed espresso from a machine or instant espresso mixed with the appropriate amount of hot water. Hot coffee will also work well here too. If you are avoiding espresso or coffee, you can just use hot water in it’s place!
- Vegetable oil: tenderizes the cake. Any neutral oil, such as canola, will also work here.
- Granulated sugar: sweetens the cake and helps lock in the moisture.
- Egg: contributes moisture to the cake and helps bind the batter together
- Sour cream: tenderizes and adds moisture to the cake. I recommend using full-fat sour cream for the best texture.
Filling:
- Hazelnuts: I used and recommend blanched hazelnuts (ones that have the skin removed), so that you don’t have to do that process yourself.
- Nutella: for flavor.
- Chocolate ice cream: Use your favorite chocolate ice cream! You could also sub in any ice cream flavor you like really, so long as it works with chocolate and hazelnuts!
Nutella whipped cream:
- Heavy whipping cream: the base of the whipped cream.
- Salt: just a pinch for flavor.
- Granulated sugar: for a bit of sweetness.
- Nutella: to turn the regular whipped cream into nutella whipped cream.
how to make chocolate hazelnut ice cream cake
Here are just a few pictures of the process of making this cake. The full recipe is at the end of the blog post!
- Start with the chocolate loaf cake. Mix together the hot espresso and cocoa.
- Then mix in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into a loaf pan and bake.
- Once the cake has fully cooled to room temperature, slice it into 3 layers.
- Layer the cake with chocolate ice cream, hazelnuts & nutella. Freeze, then slice, serve with nutella whipped cream & enjoy!
chocolate hazelnut ice cream cake recipe q&a
do I need to use espresso in this cake?
I recommend using espresso because it compliments the chocolate. However, if you’re avoiding espresso for any reason you can just replace it with an equal amount of hot milk.
If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can combine 100g of hot water with instant espresso or instant coffee as well.
What size loaf pan do I need?
I used a 1 lb. loaf pan that was 8.5 x 4.5. You could also use a 9×5 loaf pan, just note that the cake will be a little shorter. I almost always recommend against using a glass loaf pan but if that’s all you have on hand, note that the baking time may significantly increase.
how to store the cake
You’ll need to store the ice cream cake in the freezer and make sure it’s tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out. For slicing, take out the cake ~10-15 minutes before slicing so it softens.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 60 g dutch process cocoa powder (½ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 100 g hot espresso (3 ½ oz.)
- 150 g vegetable oil (¾ c.)
- 200 g granulated sugar (1 c.)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 150 g sour cream room temperature (½ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 180 g all purpose flour (1 ½ c.)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
Filling
- 1 qt. chocolate ice cream (4 c.)
- 60 g chopped hazelnuts (¼ c.)
- 75 g nutella (¼ c.)
Nutella Whipped Cream
- 150 g heavy whipping cream (⅔ c.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 35 g nutella (2 tbsp.)
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and line an 8×4" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Brew the espresso. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa and hot espresso.
- Add in the oil, sugar, eggs, and sour cream. Whisk vigorously until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together just until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the chocolate cake into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Filling
- Allow the cake to fully come to room temperature before assembling it. Once the cake is at room temperature, take out the ice cream to sit at room temperature for ~20 minutes to soften.
- Slice the cake horizontally twice to get 3 pieces. I recommend making the top layer of the cake a little thicker to allow more room for ice cream in the pan.
- *important!* Line the loaf pan you took the cake out of completely with plastic wrap to form a hammock for the cake. This will make it way easier to pull the cake out of the loaf once it's completely frozen later on!
- Put the bottom layer of the cake into the loaf pan. Spread half of the chocolate ice cream carefully over the cake.
- Add half the nutella and half of the hazelnuts on top of the ice cream and swirl them around into the ice cream.
- Gently top it with the middle cake layer, and carefully spread the rest of the ice cream over it. Swirl in the remaining nutella and hazelnuts.
- Top it off with the top layer of the cake. Bring the plastic wrap up from the sides to cover the top of the cake, and top with additional plastic wrap as needed just to fully cover the loaf.
- Place the cake in the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight before slicing.
Nutella Whipped Cream
- Once you're ready to serve the ice cream cake, remove the cake from the freezer to soften for ~20 minutes, and make the nutella whipped cream.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, salt, sugar and nutella to a medium sized mixing bowl. Beat the mixture with a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
- Top the ice cream cake with the whipped cream and additional hazelnuts and chocolate chips, if desired. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.